


The Luminary's Recipe Book

by Amonoff



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Food, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-01-13 07:21:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21240335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amonoff/pseuds/Amonoff
Summary: One of Edrea's most popular recipe books is back on sale! The complete list of recipes used by the famous Luminary during his travels featuring dishes from all over the continent. Heliodor, Hotto Steppe, Gallopolis... There are even recipes that use monsters that wander in those regions! A highly recommended book for any adventurer on the go! Buy it while it lasts.





	1. Herb Porridge (Heliodor)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Herb Porridge ( [Nanakusa Gayu](https://www.justonecookbook.com/nanakusa-gayu-seven-herb-rice-porridge/))
> 
> A warm porridge made with herbs that’s perfect for adventurers just starting out.
> 
> Ingredients:  
½ cup of rice  
½ cup medicinal herbs  
¼ cup of antidotal herbs  
1 moonwort bulb, sliced  
4 cups of water
> 
> First, make the porridge. Pour the rice and water into a pot and boil it for half an hour. In the meantime, get the moonwort bulb and slice it thinly. Boil it in another pot with the medicinal and antidotal herbs until the leaves wilt. Take it out and after it cools, chop all the herbs and mix into the porridge.
> 
> *If you don’t want to waste moonwort stem, you can preserve it as a side dish for later! Just run it under boiling hot water, then chop it up and mix it with a generous amount of salt. Best eaten with rice.

They were alive! They jumped from a cliff thousands of feet high up and unto the ground without even a single scratch!

Erik is still processing that information. Even now, as he’s watching the boy in front of him sleep so soundly, eyeing the simple mark on his left hand, he just couldn’t believe it. But what else could explain it?

The young thief sits back against his chair, closing his eyes as he recalls that dream like yesterday. The scent of flowers, the sound of water rippling, the cool breeze against his skin, and the woman’s words...

“Have faith in the Luminary,” he repeats to himself. A chuckle escaped Erik before he turns his gaze back to his companion. “So this really must be destiny. You really are the Luminary. Then if I stick around and help you, maybe…” Erik leans forward, clenching his hands together. “Heh, you better wake up soon. Now that I think about it, I don’t even know your name.”

A gentle knock on the door makes Erik turn his head back, his hand already hovering over his knife until the door opens and the kindly old nun pokes her head in.

“Oh, dear. Is he still out?” she asked with furrowed brows. Erik quickly shifts his body to face her, tugging his shirt over his weapon as discreetly as possible.

“Yeah, he hasn’t come around yet.”

A warm smile glowed on the old lady’s face as she approached him, eyes lingering on the Luminary until she was finally just in front of him. “Well, do not fret, my child. I’m certain that by tomorrow he will be fine.”

“How can you be so sure?” Erik asked, and was surprised to find almost a twinkle in her eyes as she slowly turned around to look at the altar on the nave.

“This sounds strange but when I was praying for your friend’s recovery, I saw a vision.” The nun spoke with such casualness while Erik gaped at her.

“A vision…?”

A field of flowers as far as the eye can see, interrupted by a quaint river that surrounds a small inlet at the centre. And on that inlet is a quaint cottage. Puffs of smoke escape the chimney on the roof, where a young woman with long hair sits, holding a fishing rod. A near picturesque scene Erik could never forget even if he tried.

“You saw a vision? Are you telling the truth?”

The holy woman nodded wistfully. “Yes. I saw you and your friend at camp, gathered around a fire under the stars and laughing together like old friends. And,” she looks between the two of them. “Is it just the two of you? Where are your other companions?”

“What?”

A weak growl interrupts them. Not from any monster, as Erik quickly realizes with embarrassment.

“Hoho! My apologies. It didn’t occur to me to ask if you were hungry.”

“N-No, it’s fine!” The thief tried to reassure, scratching his head with flushed face. “Just, uh, forgot to eat breakfast, you know.”

“My, we can’t have that!” She laughs. “Let me get you something to eat. It’s not much, but it should fill you for the night.”   
  
“That would be appreciated. Thank you, sister.”

She smiles again. Erik can practically feel its bright, almost saintly, purity boring into his guilty heart. It makes him uncomfortable. He’s not used to taking kindness from strangers–and he never will because that’s nearly gotten him killed enough times–but just for tonight, he’ll indulge.

It’s a decision he instantly regrets when the sister finally returns with a bowl of piping hot  _ porridge _ . Months of eating gruel and his first meal out had to be...a similar thing.

Erik stifled a groan until the old lady finally left after assuring him that it would be okay to ask for seconds.

To be fair with her, her cooking was nothing like the slop the soldiers served him in Heliodor. Theirs was a brown and thick substance, with a few lumps of ungrinded oats mixed in that left a strange, lingering, powdery feel on his tongue that felt and tasted disgusting. The nun’s, however, is glistening white with streaks of emerald green from the vegetables mixed in. And, as Erik mixes it with a wooden spoon, is smooth. Almost velvety. The earthy aroma coming from it was honestly relaxing for his soul.

But, porridge was porridge. Filled with vegetables to boo–herbs. It was herbs.

Erik’s nose wrinkles all the same at the mental correction as he chews it. It’s bitter but thankfully not too strong. Enough that it sends almost jolts of energy through his body, as if to wake it up.

It’s hard to admit but it’s not intolerable to him. He’d even pick eating this over Heliodor’s garbage any day. That said, by tomorrow, maybe he’ll buy some meat. Enjoy some  _ real _ food to finally celebrate his freedom.

Erik sips his–he sighs–bitter tea as he looks back the sleeping Luminary.

For obvious reasons, all that would need wait first.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I'm just satisfied to have finished and posted something. I really like food and just thinking what recipes will work has been strangely fun.


	2. Spicy Manglegrove Rice (Manglegrove)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spicy Manglegrove Rice ([Arroz con Huevo](https://www.laylita.com/recipes/arroz-con-huevo-or-rice-with-egg/))
> 
> A simple vegetarian dish with bananas served with rice and eggs. 
> 
> Ingredients:  
1 or 2 bananas, sliced into fours  
1 cup of rice  
2 eggs
> 
> For the salsa:  
2 buzzberries, crushed  
2 roasted tomatoes  
1 clove of garlic, crushed  
½ onion, chopped  
¼ cup of wakerobin petals
> 
> Cook the rice as you normally would and while waiting, make the salsa by adding all the ingredients for it into a mortar and crush it together until it’s fully combined. It should have a slightly thick consistency.
> 
> Next, cook the bananas and eggs. Heat up a pan with oil or butter and fry the bananas on both sides until they’re golden brown. Be sure to leave it on a plate with parchment paper so it soaks up any excess oil. Finally, cook the eggs to however you like.
> 
> Serve the rice, bananas, and eggs together with the salsa on a plate and enjoy.
> 
> *If you don’t like spicy food, you can refrain from adding the buzzberries or substitute the salsa for something else. The Stewed Meat in Tomato (pg. 53) pairs surprisingly well with this dish.

El crushes the mortar like a madman, pounding the pestle so viciously you’d think he was trying to grind bones in there.

Erik watched from across the campfire, resting against a sack with a half-hearted laugh. He really did feel bad seeing him so upset but the reason was just too damn hilarious. Declared a wanted man, thrown in jail, sentenced to death, chased by guards, and then a dragon, all in less than a day. Not once in that time had he seen him more traumatized than when they came across a strange, glowing plant and learned that dog he had spent the last hour gushing over and petting was actually some middle-aged man. He had also never seen him hunt down a monster so fast or cut it down so quickly.

When Flint turned back into a human, El’s facial expression remained hard, ignoring his thanks to instead proclaim that he’ll make lunch and asked if the carpenter wanted something. Flint just awkwardly agreed, figuring that he would be famished after repairing the bridge anyway.

Suddenly, there was a loud thunk. Erik straightened up to see that El had stopped. His shoulders were slacked and Erik could hear him sigh all the way from here. He gets up to walk towards him.

“Hey,” he taps El’s shoulders to get his attention, making the latter jolt from surprise. El turns back to see him with a curious look, as if asking him what was up. Erik sits by him, legs crossed and arms resting on his knees. “You’re really still upset about all of that, huh?”

The cheeks on El’s face burn just before he buries his head in his hands with a muffled groan. “I’m sorry…” El cried, shaking his head. “I was...really embarrassing, wasn’t I?”

“Aw, come on.” Erik waves off. “If I had a nickel for every person I’ve met who’d went brain dead over some dog or cat-”

A loud groaning cuts him. “Please don’t say it like that.” El pleads.

“Okay, okay.” Erik raises his hands. “Anyway, shouldn’t you be apologizing to Flint?”

“I know...” El answers him, even though he’s shaking his head and still sulking. Soon, he retreats to get the cauldron off the bonfire. There’s a distinct smell of rice in the air once he takes the lid off. Erik did recall him buying some in Heliodor.

“Look, I get it.” Erik reassures. “You’re probably stressed and worried about your home. You can’t just sit here doing nothing, right?”

Slowly, El looks back at him, eyes wide and blinking from surprise. “Yes. That’s right. Was...was it that obvious?” he sheepishly asks.

“You  _ were _ smashing those barrels pretty hard.” Erik grins when he sees El face brighten again. He bites down a laugh when El buries his head in his hands again.

“Ugh! I still can’t believe I did it in front of him!”

“Oh man, that didn’t even occur to me! And then we smashed those pots in his house.”

“And I just stole that book from his chest.”

Erik shook his head. “Okay, that’s actually his fault. I mean, who leaves an unlocked chest lying around? Might as well have put a sign saying ‘Rob me!’ on it.” The two broke out laughing.

“Ah, but really...we shouldn’t have done that.” El sighs, visibly calmer and sitting back with a relaxed ease.

Erik waves his hand away. “Then we’ll apologize to Flint. We didn’t know that the place wasn’t  _ actually _ abandoned. Now we know better.”

“Yeah. You’re right.” El smiles at him. “Thank you for listening, Erik.”

There is nothing but earnest gratitude in his words. It touches Erik for some reason, in such a way that he feels his chest warm.

“No problem. We’re partners in crime now, and that means having each other’s backs.” Erik answers, right as he kicks his legs up and sinks back against a nearby sack to rest on.

It’s a beat before he hears El whisper, “Partners...”

His voice was hushed as he softly repeated that word, as if he was contemplating something. Erik straightens up to check on El, curious as to what got him hung up on the term. 

But El was beaming, looking even happier than before. He was just heating up a pan on the bonfire with little sign of anything wrong.

“Oh right, how do you want your eggs? Over easy or well-done?”

“Huh?! Uh,” Erik thinks. “over easy, of course!”

“Alright.” El nods before reaching for their supply bag.

Erik lies down, sighing at himself and wondering if he just imagined that.

The clouds above them drifted ever so slowly, so relaxed without a care in the world. It was so easy to forget everything just looking at it.

He hears an egg crack, soon followed by a noise of oil crackling and honestly made Erik’s stomach grumble. The wonderful sound lasts only a few minutes; not for too long or the yolks wouldn’t be runny. But then Erik hears the pan sizzling again and he can’t he help noticing the sweet fragrance in the air.

“What are you frying?” Erik sniffs while asking, curious. 

“Bananas. Why?”

...did he hear that right?

“The what?"

“Bananas. The ones I picked earlier.”

“I know what they are but I thought you were making lunch.”

“I am.”

Erik was now up, about to ask what kind of lunch had fruit but El has already finished and was transferring the bananas onto a plate.

He looks at him with eyes gleaming, instantly reminding Erik of last night when El excitedly gave him a recently finished Divine Knife.

“Here you are.” he chimes, clearly proud. To Erik’s surprise, it actually looked normal. There was a hefty amount of rice spooned in with two beautiful eggs sitting on top of it. The bananas were browned well and the red salsa added a nice color to the whole thing. “Just try a little bit of everything at a time.” El told him before he continued plating the rest of the food.

Erik decided to oblige, immediately breaking the eggs first–because who doesn’t do that first?–and mixed it with the rice. He dipped the banana in the salsa, and taking it with the rice, took a bite.

It was spicy, but sweet, and the eggs helped mellow both to let flavours blend together nicely.

“It’s...good?!” Erik shook his head with disbelief, enjoying the addictive crunch from both the eggs and bananas cooks that were cooked perfectly on high heat. “El, where did you learn-" Just as he looks up, he noticed that El was gone, leaving the camp empty beside himself.

Erik looked around quickly, already moving on his feet when he took a glance by the bridge. El was there, talking with Flint and offering the old man lunch. And judging from the looks of things, also apologizing for the property damage and theft with a string of bows. Flint was laughing, probably thinking nothing of it.

Erik sat back down, now just feeling foolish for worrying like that. It wasn’t like him to get worked up over nothing.

He watches the two share a laugh, with El getting a slap on the back from Flint. A smile cracks on Erik’s lips. 

An hour later, Flint is done repairing the bridge, finally allowing the two to continue onwards to Cobblestone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This dish was something I ate a lot growing up. It's called Arroz a La Cubana and you're supposed to eat it with meat on the side. I prefer it without it. It was surprising out that version actually had a name. 
> 
> This chapter was also based from my experience playing this chapter for the first time. I ran around that dog and mashed A a lot trying to pet it before raiding the house while it just stood there and watched.
> 
> Human interaction is still something I'll have to improve on. Critique is welcome.


	3. Boiled Spindle Snails (Emerald Coast Pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Boiled Spindle Snails](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3divVVrAeU&t=371s)
> 
> An easy-to-cook dish that's deceivingly packed full of flavour.
> 
> Ingredients:  
Roughly 20 or more spindle snails  
2-3 cups of water  
Salt
> 
> Rinse and scrub the shells in a bowl of water to remove any dirt. Take care not to prick yourself or damage the meat and shell in any way. Once it’s clean, drain the water.
> 
> Fill the cauldron with water. If the cups are too little, add more water until it can completely submerge the shells. Mix a generous amount of salt in before placing the cauldron on the fire. Immediately add the snails in and leave it to boil for ten minutes. When it’s finished, removed them from the water and serve.
> 
> *Always add the snails before the water boils. Adding it after will cause the meat to go back inside the shell.

The beach was a nostalgic sight. Just breathing in the refreshing, salty smell in the air had been soothing. Despite everything, Erik missed the great and open waters. Just seeing how it glittered as the waves reflected the moonlight, making it look a beautiful road made of ever moving stars, brought back fond memories.

He only wished that the circumstances were better.

The sound of sand shuffling nearby alerted Erik. Any sentimental feelings are quickly suppressed before he returns his focus back unto the unassuming Crabid. It was walking towards their pile of leftovers Erik had mixed with Bubble Slime sludge. The damned, innocent looking slime may have been even deadlier than its blue cousins ( _ Erik grumbled as he stared down at the half-dissolved hems his only shirt _ ) but its toxic goo ended up being surprisingly more helpful. Just a few drops on their leftovers and it was now so rotten it actually stinks worse the garbage pile back in Heliodor. To a Crabid, that smelled like a five-star meal.

Once it spotted the bait, it brought its claws up, clacking almost with joy before it started to adjust its position to face the pile. It never noticed Erik creep up behind it until he suddenly rose from grass and kicked the thing from under its abdomen, flipping the creature over on its carapace. It screeched angrily and helplessly, waving its claws around frantically, unable to right itself. That was the point, and Erik didn’t waste any time sheathing his knife and stabbing into the Crabid’s upper lip. He ignored the desperate sounds it made, pushing down against its abdomen to keep it still as he carefully dug his blade in further. There was a soft crack, the undoubted sound of his knife finally tearing into the front nerve centre. Erik quickly pulled the blade out and plunged it again into the abdomen where its hind nerve centre was.

Though the claws continued to move slowly, as if still weakly struggling to live, Erik was sure the Crabid was now completely dead. Not a lot could survive having its  _ nervous system _ destroyed.

He picks that whole body with a grunt, throwing the carcass on his back in what feels distantly routine. The bait is collected quickly in hand, wrapped tight in a bag so no other monster would be attracted. With a monster and his pouch full of hard-earned spoils from digging in the beach, Erik makes to return back to El.

From where he stood, Erik could see a thin weave of steam coming from their camp.

* * *

When Erik asked him to prepare a wok of boiling water and a small, unlit campfire on the side, El wondered if he was planning to make some kind of stew. They were near the beach so he could imagine cooked fish or seaweed… Not a  _ giant _ crab the size of a chest that Erik lugs back with him. El had never even seen a crab that size before except monsters! And it wasn’t until Erik was close enough, sweaty and covered in sand from an undoubtedly hard day, that El realizes that it  _ is _ a monster.

“E-Erik? What…?” El points to the crab.

“Huh? You don’t recognize it?” Erik dumps on the ground nearby and stretches backwards, grunting. “A Crabid. Figured since there were a lot here, I could catch one of them.”

El just nods, wobbling on his feet in a daze. But definitely,  _ not _ because the idea of consuming them was weird or anything!

...alright, maybe a little. But he knows at the very least that there's nothing to be scared of. He'd heard plenty of stories about it from Chalky–El suddenly lowers his head, swallowing a lump in his throat. He could still hear his laugh, always getting a kick his and Gemma’s disgusted reactions–

El shuts his eyes tight, feeling them well up again as his hands clenched together.

“Hey, you feeling okay?”

He flinches when he suddenly feels Erik’s hand resting on his shoulder, with a look of worry and concern. El feels the guilt gripping his heart. Now wasn't the time for mourning.

With a steady breath, El gently pushes Erik's hand away, offering a curt nod to him with as big of a smile he can muster to reassure him.

He's taken by surprise when instead, he sees Erik’s eyes still, as if frozen in place with his pupils dilated. The thief’s mouth hangs agape before he suddenly turns away, scratching his neck. “If you say so. Anyway, you’ve eaten monster before, right?”

“U-um…” El blinks, mildly confused and unsure about what exactly just happened. He found himself slowly shaking his head in a daze.

“Uh, El?” Erik looks back at him. The strange expression is gone. “Oh, sorry. So, you this is your first time?”

It was. Monsters weren’t native to Cobblestone. They mostly— _ had _ mostly lived off the land with backyard vegetables and fruits, and milk, eggs, and meat from the farm animals they raised. There was never any particular need to go hunting for monsters. And even if there was—El could feel his face flush—most of the monsters nearby were slimes. Cute, round, happy-looking, bouncy slimes. There was no way they could hunt something so adorable!

Erik just grins back at him, already rolling his sleeves with an eagerness that El can’t see in his distant eyes. “Well, you’re in for a treat! And don’t worry, it won’t taste weird or anything.” That sentiment sits as he lets Erik pull him down to sit on a stack of bundled branches nearby. Erik raises head, looking towards the centre of the camp where their makeshift kitchen was. “Thanks for preparing everything for me. You can just sit and relax now. Crabid are actually easy to cook but it’ll take awhile.”

Then he faces the mid-afternoon sky. It’s steeped in a bright orange glow as the sun is starting to set.

“I’ll make us some snacks in the meantime. That sound fine with you?”

El didn’t see any issue. He gives him a thumbs up.

“Good. I’ll be back in maybe fifteen minutes.” Erik told him, picking up his small bag and the Crabid.

El waves him off, quietly staring at Erik’s back and contemplating.

* * *

Erik puts the Crabid and pouch on the table. He undoes the string tied around the opening empties it into a bowl of clean water. Small, muddied spindle-shaped shells clatter against the base inside. For obvious reasons, these were called spindle snails and were readily available in most fish markets. They were priced cheap and sold in bulk since the snails could be easily found in any beach. Most people would only buy them either for their beautiful shells or to be as pets or prey in their aquariums. Not Erik.

He washes the shells in the bowl, scrubbing each one clean with ease until there wasn’t a single grain of sand left on any of them. The water is soon drain aside into the nearby grass. As Erik fills their cauldron with water, he can’t help but think back to El's reaction from earlier. Regretful thoughts start to gnaw at him again.

Maybe he shouldn't have asked El to prepare these for him...maybe he should’ve just done everything himself and let El rest for the day. But then again, Erik knew from personal experience about where the mind tended to go when left alone to do nothing. Whatever the case, what's done is done and Erik quickly refocuses to making sure this turned out well– _ needed _ to turn out well. He hangs the cauldron of water above the unlit tinder before lighting a branch on fire. It's tossed into the wood pile, and was soon burning bright. Before the water boiled, Erik adds in handful of salt and transfers the shells inside.

It would ten minutes before they would be ready, enough time to quickly wash the Crabid. Erik submerges it into a larger bowl of water and begins to scrub the carapace of dirt, running his fingers between the joints to get any stuck inside. Because Crabids actually spent more time on the surface than in the sea, the mud and sand that would cling to their shells would cake and harden under the heat of the sun, creating almost a second layer of armour that protected them. That made Crabids generally difficult to clean, but it wasn’t anything Erik wasn’t used to by this point. As much as he hates to admit, all those times being forced to work kitchen duty to feed an entire ship of rowdy, loud, and angry Vikings did actually pay off.

It’s a thought quickly buried as Erik pats the body dry. Ten minutes is about up.

The shells are clattering in the cauldron from the boiling hot water when Erik fishes them out, transferring them with a slotted ladle into a plate. It was the very definition of a humble meal but it was the best he could think of to offer.

The Crabid is carefully slid into the wok, still boiling and hotter than when he first arrived. Erik flinches from the burning heat of the steam against his arms and he’s quick to cover it with a lid to let it cook faster. He throws more branches into the fire for good measure.

If Erik had to guess, it would probably be twenty minutes or so before it would be finished. Maybe an hour to cool.

* * *

“Hey! Hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

El raises his head from the recipe book to greet Erik back. He sees him snicker with a large plate in hand. “Are you feeling cold already?”

El puffs his cheeks with tight lips, pulling the blanket around himself closer. The sea breeze was getting stronger and El wasn’t accustomed to the cold. That’s what he’s thinking when a weak gust suddenly blows by. It makes El huddle under the wool covering for warmth, making Erik's eyebrows knit again with worry.

“Okay. I guess it is getting chilly.” Erik sympathizes, though he’s hardly bothered by it as much as he is. El can’t help but envy Erik’s cold resistance.

“Here.” Erik leaves the whole plate on his lap. It was filled with spiral shells and on the side was a strange, small wooden fork that only had two teeth. El ignores the latter, taking one of the shells to hold it up to eye-level and inspect it with awe. The base of it was round and spiraled to the tip, with a thin end that extended into a long point, almost reminding El of a fancy flute. The shades of a sandy brown along its white surface made it quite pretty. He could already think of a few clothing designs using these for both Erik and himself. But...he could see something inside; a bright, orange flesh.

“Do you know what these are?”

El shakes his head.

Erik sits back next to him, taking one of the shells with a smile. “These are spindle snails. You can find them pretty much anywhere. Maybe you’ve seen these shells for sale as accessories or souvenirs in stores?”

Now that he mentions it, El does remember seeing a few of these in the stalls at Heliodor. A few merchants that visited Cobblestone had them too…

“Not many restaurants serve these though. It’s a shame.”

  
El blinks, looking back at Erik with a cocked head.

“Oh, right. I guess you wouldn’t know how to eat it then.” he chuckles. Erik takes one of the snails and the small, wooden fork. “Here, I’ll show I eat it. First, stick this into the meat inside. Then, pull it out just like this.” Rather than dig it out, El watches with amazement as he sees Erik the wind fork around shell, sliding the flesh out with ease. To El’s surprise, the rest of the body was also spiral-shaped, and was a light, brownish mix of grey and white instead of orange. Erik removes something slimy looking from it. “These are the innards. It’s best to avoid eating them.”

Erik flicks it away before holding the snail meat in front of El. He looks at it with a tight swallow. His eyes shut when he leans down to take the whole thing in his mouth and...

El's eyes widen as he chews, holding his hand over mouth. “It’s sweet!” He says. Almost like fruits somehow! There was definitely a hint of salt but that made the flavour all the more pronounced. 

He took another snail quickly, imitating Erik and to pull the flesh out. With another bite, El hummed. It wasn’t his imagination at all! This snail from the sea really was somehow  _ sweet _ ! And El very much enjoyed sweets.

“Glad you like it.” Erik says, resting his head against his hand as he watches him grab another shell.

El slides it out again with success but this time, he hovers it just over Erik’s mouth. After all, it wouldn’t be fair that Erik went through all the trouble to make these without at least trying one. Erik just sits there for a minute, glancing at him and then snail again. With a strange hesitance, he finally takes a bite.

* * *

The first time Erik remembers eating these was during a particularly bad season of fishing. They had spent days at sea trying and failing to catch some special sea urchin that was beloved the royal family. Disgruntled and irritated, the Vikings would take their frustrations out him and Mia. Most of the time they would get slapped around. Other times, they were particularly cruel. One night, he accidentally dropped and smashed one of the placed while doing the dishes. He tried to explain that his hands were sore from hours working with the scalding hot water but that only made them angrier. So he and Mia were barred from dinner as punishment. Desperate, Erik snuck into the nets to try and find something–anything–to eat. That was when he came across some spiral-shaped shells that were to be used as bait.

He stole as many as he could and brought them back to their room. He and Mia found a way to boil them and…

Well, it’s a recipe Erik’s relied on every now and again whenever he was tight on money. Which he hadn’t been for awhile until after getting caught for stealing the Red Orb and lived for  _ months _ eating nothing but disgusting gruel. It had been longer than he’d realized since he himself had eaten this.

Erik manages a coy smile at El. “Thanks.”

El continued humming, still chewing his mouth. It’s the happiest Erik’s seen from him today and it makes the weight on his chest feel lighter.

“Well, we’ve got a bit of time before the Crabid finishes.” Erik says, eyeing between El and the plate again.

El stuffs another meat into his mouth as he nods with a delighted tune. He grabs another snail and, after pulling the flesh out, feeds it to Erik.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This recipe is based off something Kimagure Cook (or Kaneko as that's his name) made. Everything from the ingredients, to Erik's preparations and cooking, and down to the description of the flavour come from his video. The link is provided at the food's name,
> 
> I actually recommend watching it as he talks about other shellfish too. But I want to warn that in the second half he cooks live ice gobies. If cooking live fish in any way makes you uncomfortable, you can stop watching at 7:47. While Kaneko got it for cheap at the market in his area, I'm not sure if these are as available elsewhere. This is prolly a harder recipe to recreate, which is a shame.
> 
> THIS. Emerald Coast gave me the hardest time. Given the scenario, I kept zigzagging between what would work well for this. It was going to be something from Cobblestone but I just couldn't settle on anything. Somehow, it changed to Erik making dinner for El. I think this, no matter how it turned out, is one of my favourite chapters. I say one of because, would you believe it, this ended up being so long I had to split it into two parts.
> 
> I feel like there are a lot of jokes that could be made with these two eating and feeding each other something soft and fleshy like mollusks...that wasn't on purpose. I picked this dish legitimately because it looked delicious and the beach setting.


	4. Crabid Fried Rice, An Kake’s Style (Emerald Coast Pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crabid Fried Rice, An Kake’s Style ([Ankake Fried Rice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3md_mwMvdE))
> 
> The flavour of Crabid meat shines in this luxurious dish.
> 
> Ingredients:  
For the fried rice:  
1 cup of day old rice  
2 eggs, beaten  
1-2 cups boiled Crabid meat  
½ cup green onions  
Soy sauce  
Salt  
Pepper
> 
> For the sauce:  
½ cup water  
½ cup chicken stock  
1 tsp potato starch  
1 tbsp water  
½ cup boiled Crabid meat
> 
> In regards to preparing and cleaning Crabid for this dish, go to pg. 41.
> 
> First, make the sauce. Start by mixing the potato starch and water in a small bowl. Heat up the water and stock together in a saucepan and once it starts to boil, break the Crabid meat into it. Stir the potato starch in a little at a time to let it combine properly. Once it’s thickened, take it off the fire.
> 
> Next is the fried rice. Pour the beaten eggs into a hot pan, followed immediately by the rice. Stir fry them quickly so neither burn. Season it with salt and pepper to taste before adding the broken Crabid meat in. Keep stir frying it for a few minutes before adding in the green onions and a dash of soy sauce. Cook for another minute or two before it’s finished.
> 
> Serve the rice on a plate or bowl with sauce poured on top.
> 
> *You can go the extra mile to make this dish more luxurious by mixing the Crabid paste with the sauce and using any excess meat as toppings for the rice. If you’re unable to use Crabid, regular crab works fine as a substitute.

It took an hour to boil the Crabid and almost the same amount of time to cool, which Erik spent preparing the last of the ingredients: beaten eggs, chopped spring onions, and dissolved potato starch in water.

Now, regular crabs are tough as is. You had to be strong to break their joints and carapace apart while taking care not to damage the soft meat inside. Multiply that by twenty and you get a Crabid, with shells hard enough to kill a man and joints that literally needed to be hacked off.

But Erik was the king of finesse with knives and he only needed his trusted one and a hammer to get the job done. The starting point was the limbs. Erik twirled the knife playfully in hand before he started striking it against joints connecting the legs to the body. Hacking it straight through would ruin the flesh so the goal was simply to wear it thin until it cracked, letting Erik easily pull the leg off. It’s a process that needs to be repeated for all the legs and then the claws.

When that’s finished, the body is next but it’s not the meat that needs to be extracted this time. No, inside it is the most precious part of any shellfish: the juice and fat. The last part doesn’t sound too delicious but it’s a delicacy in Snifleheim and since you could only get one per crab at such a small amount, they were also expensive. The same logic applies to Crabids too except since hunting them was more difficult and the fat was easier to ruin from any wrong stab or spell, the price tag for it was larger.

The first step is to start with cutting off the tail flap, which acts like a cap for the body. Erik only needs to tip the body over to pour the juice into a container. After draining what he can, Erik puts his fingers through the hole and forces the carapace and abdomen apart with a loud crack. There isn’t as much fat as he expected but the amount is still quite nice and more than enough for the two of them with leftover to sell. Erik tears away the gills before scraping it all into the shell for later. Then he chops the abdomen in half with his knife. More force is required, enough that Erik accidentally knocks a bone flying at the second blow. For his troubles though, is a lot of meat, still trapped inside that could be eaten later. After Erik is done, he quickly moves back to the legs and starts cracking the shells again, only needing to aim for the thickest part which is near the joints. Once it’s broken through, the shell easily slides off, exposing the precious flesh.

In the end, only the claws are too tough for his knife. Erik needs a hammer to break apart the exterior but it’s well worth the effort. There’s so much meat in the claw alone that it’s almost double the size of his fists. Altogether now, he and El had enough to last them for three days.

The sizzle of the eggs when he pours it on the hot oil is already enticing to his ears. Erik stir-fries it with the rice, adding some seasoning to taste and then shredded pieces of Crabid meat. A dash of soy sauce adds enough flavour for fried rice. From personal experience, it’s never good to add so much or it would overshadow the other ingredients. The green onions are added last just as the rice finishes cooking. They provided a nice fragrance and color to the dish. A little green always did have a way to make anything he cooked look more presentable.

For a final touch, Erik boils some water and chicken stock in a separate pot, adding in more shredded Crabid once it starts bubbling. Potato starch water is mixed in a little at a time to thicken the base to a better consistency. This way, the rice wouldn’t turn soggy after the sauce was poured on top of it.

Crabid rice, Crabid sauce… A full monster taste.

“It’s done!” he yells.

If El’s eyes were beaming before, they were sparkling now. He looked positively excited.

“Where did you learn to cook like that?” El immediately asks him on his return. “You were hitting the crab a lot and then you bashed the crab with a hammer and you were working so fast-”

“Right, right, eat first.” Erik sighed bemusingly, sitting down next to him and handing a plate over. El was talking quite a bit more today.

“Then will you tell me?”

“I’ll tell you right now. It’s nothing special though.” Erik waves off but El just cocks head with an eyebrow raised; a cheeky ‘yeah right.’ “When you live on the road, you pick a few things up. I actually learned this recipe from Derk.” 

El perks up with interest, blue eyes alight and wide with eagerness, and actually scoots closer for a better listen. It was a pure reaction of childlike wonder that catches Erik by surprise and he finds himself wanting to continue.

He smiles. “I still remember when the guy first made it. We had just finished a decent job and we wanted something a bit more extravagant. So we went to the fish market and bought ourselves the best crab we could afford. I wanted to boil it, something simple, but Derk insisted on cooking so I let him.” Erik shrugs with his hands out and happy scoff. “Not gonna lie, I had my doubts but right after I tried it, I had him it to teach me immediately. This was still during the early months of my world travelling escapades so it was nothing like anything I’ve ever eaten or made before.”

Reminiscing like this...Erik can’t help chuckling, lifting his foot up to rest on his knee as he lies back to watch the night sky. “Derk learned it himself during his own travels. Can’t recall where though. I think he said it was Hot something?”

He looks back at El, who’s now finally taking bite the rice. His face contorts to bliss and there loud hum in the air. Erik just laughs.

“Good, right? Crabids taste even better crabs if you cook em right.”

El nods while shoveling into his face. It’s a terribly funny sight seeing Yggdrassil’s chosen, most holy warrior, eating with as much manners as a child. If some of the more zealous priests could see this, they would have a fit.

Erik isn’t surprised though. It’s a dish that might as well be the essence of Crabid. It was so deceptively simple but luxurious at the same time. Hot rice with warm sauce where the flavour of shellfish was strong but not overwhelming, mellowed down to gentle taste thanks to the eggs and soup. At this point, the only thing missing to make night perfect was a drink. Too bad travelling made it hard to get any hands on a good bottle.

He feels El poke on his arm.

“Will you teach me this too?” El asks.

“Of course. Maybe in the next town we hit, we can buy some shellfish and I’ll show you.”

El makes a noise that Erik compares to the happy whine of a puppy. He looks so happy and it’s downright infectious.

“Have you cooked seafood before?”

“Yes. Only fish and clams from the river.” El looks up nostalgically. Erik remembers it, hidden and out of the way with only a lonely pier. He never expected to find a waterfall too. It was brimming with fish, clean without a single trace of garbage. The locals looked after it with care and respect and in return, they had a bounty of freshwater life. 

“I used to play there with Gemma all the time. We would catch fish and wade around for shells.” He plays with the spoon in his hand as he says the last part, tapping it against the plate. “We would collect as many as we could. Then she would use them for her sewing while dragging me in to help. I didn’t like it at first but after awhile...I started to enjoy it. It was because Gemma that I eventually got into blacksmithing.”

Erik bites his lips. He had already suspected as much. The wares El produced were too good for someone who’s only just started using the Fun-Sized Forge. He took it too personally to heart whenever he made anything less than a +1 and equally burst with joy at a +3. El could even understand and memorize the recipe books they’d found in short spans of time. Erik had already guessed that El must be a veteran but he didn’t realize just for how long he’s been doing it.

“Thank you for the meal. If it’s alright, may I keep these?” El holds up a pouch full white shells to him. They were from spindle snails he had served earlier. “I think I can turn them into something nice.”

“Of course. If you let me to try your dishes with seafood next time.”

“Maybe.” El chuckles nervously. “I don’t think it will be as good as this.”

“I doubt that.” Erik breaks the rice on his plate. “So now that we got Crabid out of the way, you wanna try a Khalamari Kid?”

El lets out the most appalled gasp he’s ever hear heard. “No.”

“Come on, they’re-”

El shakes his firmly and pouts, cheeks puffed and eyes glaring scrutinizingly.

A laugh breaks into the air. As much as he wants to, Erik can’t stop. The Luminary is clearly taken aback from his reaction but he soon relaxes, taking another leisure bite of rice.

“So no?”

“If you really don’t want to.”

He sips a glass of water after assuring him of that. A cool breeze starts to blow behind them.

A wave of nostalgia warms his chest.

It had been so long since he’s had a night like this. Just sitting down by the bonfire with good food and company. And even longer since he’s had someone close to  _ his _ age for once.

Erik will miss Derk’s company but this? He could get used to this.

* * *

The rest of the crab is packed away for tomorrow. Any leftovers are, heart-wrenchingly, burned in the bonfire so as not to attract any monster.

After spending the day running through the fields and the night cooking and cleaning, Erik falls asleep the moment he hits the hay.

Sleeping was always something tricky for the thief. Being on the constant run from the law and other criminals made him more sensitive when it came time for lights out. Even the slightest noise or movement nearby would startle him awake. He has no idea how or when his body adapted this way to survive but Dear Goddess, it’s saved him many times... All Erik knows is that he’s grateful for it.

Tonight especially, when soft whimpering prick his ears. It’s almost a habit that he reaches for his knife, always tucked under his pillow and ready for use. Sleepy eyes glaze around their tent, already scanning for movement. At the corner of his left eye, Erik notices a slight shuffle in the shadows.

Now very awake, his hand automatically tightens around the handle of the blade. Erik moves carefully slow, feigning sleep as best he can to keep the enemy from noticing him. Then something clenches at the fabric of his shirt, paralyzing him. He waits for any further movement, ready to strike if they make the first move-

“...sorry…” The quiet cry surges a new kind of distress through Erik that makes him flinch. He turns his head over.

El is curled up in a fetal position, head snuggled into his waist like he was a human pillow and hands clutching at his red sash. “Mum...Gemma…”

There isn’t even a need to think. Erik moves his hand downwards, breath finally relaxing again as he gently shakes El. The boy doesn’t stir and despite Erik putting more strength into it each time, El continued to sleep with knitted brows and a shuddering gasp. Erik finally has enough and straightens up, tugging his sash away from El’s grip. The sudden movement gets his first reaction from El; a discontented grumble. It’s soon forgotten when he shifts closer to curl up against Erik’s legs instead.

The thief leans into El’s ears. “El, come on. Wake up already.” He says with a hard push against the young boy’s shoulder.

Blue eyes flutter open lazily. “...nngh...Erik? What..?”

El suddenly scrambles up in a daze, panickedly looking around the tent. “A-Are we under-?”

“No, we’re safe.” Erik holds both his arms to ease him back down into the sleeping mat, hushing him and rubbing his back apologetically. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.” He moves El closer to himself, pulling a blanket up to his neck before he rests a hand on El’s head. “We’re okay. You’re okay.”

Erik strokes his hair. A relaxed grunt escapes El, now slowly being lulled back to sleep. “...had a nightmare.”

“I know.” Erik is used to this. It reminds him of when he and Mia were younger. He would often soothe her just like this whenever she had trouble sleeping. Seeing El like this too…

“But you’re okay.” Erik reassures him, hand lingering against El’s warm skin. He brushes a few strands of hair off his cheek. “I’ll be right here.”   
  
El nods, weakly tossing his arms around his hips. It’s not hard to put together what he wants and Erik obliges.

He carefully shuffles back under the sheets, pulling El closer to his chest and so they can both lie in bed in comfort. El practically sinks into his shirt. “...sorry.” he muffles against the woollen material. Erik shudders feeling the hot breath against his skin.

He sighs, still stroking El’s back with his left hand and pulling the sheets over his head with the other. “It’s not your fault.” Erik whispers quietly but firmly. He hears hitched gasp from El before a long, deep exhale. 

The younger boy’s hands clenched at his back as he starts to quiver. “...thank you.”

Erik tightens his grip on the thin blanket.

He squeezes El a little harder. There’s a weak fragrance of earth and lavender under Erik’s nose as he rests his head atop of El’s, humming a tune to a lullaby he’d known since childhood.

It’s not long before El finally sleeps. Erik follows suit not long after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even I have no idea why this took so long.  
Ankake fried rice is a long recipe but it's surprisingly easy to make. Crabs are expensive so I just use imitation crab or replace it altogether. All the recipe is is just fried rice with sauce so there's a lot of room for creativity and variation. There is also a similar dish called Fujian fried rice/Hokkien fried rice.
> 
> This chapter also has a lot more focus on monster prep work. It's based off Kimagure's prepping of a Tasmanian King Crab, which are almost the size of an arm and honestly bear a lot of resemblance to Crabids. For the recipe, it's based of something he cooked with a Red King Crab.
> 
> [Tasmanian King Crab](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpK6vo4_sX4)   
[Red King Crab](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3md_mwMvdE&t=536s)


	5. Cobblestone–Style Breakfast (Emerald Coast Pt. 3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cobblestone–Style Breakfast ([Pancake, Bacon, Eggs, and fruits](https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/162760/fluffy-pancakes/)) 
> 
> A staple breakfast from Cobblestone.
> 
> Ingredients:  
For the pancake:  
1 cup of flour  
¾ cup of milk  
2 tbsp butter  
½ tsp salt  
½ tsp baking soda  
1 tsp baking powder  
2 tbsp sugar  
2 tbsp vinegar  
1 egg
> 
> For the sides:  
2 eggs  
Strips of cured Sham Hatwitch  
Assorted fruits
> 
> Mix the milk and vinegar in a bowl and set it aside for 5 minutes. Then whisk the egg and butter into it. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and slowly combine it into the wet solution. Once the batter is ready, heat up a pan on medium heat and cook each side until they’re golden brown.
> 
> Next, let the pan cool after a few minutes. Place the Sham Hatwitch strips on the surface before putting it on a medium hot fire to cook. When they’re done, take them out and use the leftover fat to cook the eggs.
> 
> Serve with fruits and either maple syrup or honey.
> 
> *For those having trouble knowing when to flip a pancake, wait for the bubbles to start forming on the pancake. Flip it around that time. Also, avoiding pressing it down on the pancake with your spatula.

El blinks dumbly for a few minutes as it starts to sink in that the tight warmth wrapped around him isn’t a blanket, just as the comfy green pillow he’s sleeping against isn’t actually a pillow. Pillows don't move up and down by themselves or feel bony or...well, they do reek of sweat sometimes but his Mum had freshly laundered all his pillows before he set out. So that left one explanation and El is legitimately surprised because he had never pegged Erik to be hugger.

It was actually rather comforting to be in his embrace. It reminded him of his sleepovers with Gemma. She would also hug him like this and between her and sometimes Sandy, El had gotten used to having contact while sleeping.

Still, nice as this was, breakfast needed to be made so El carefully began to remove himself, pulling away from under Erik’s arms. He tried to be discreet with his movements, but Erik woke up immediately, eyes blinking fast and darting around until it fell on him.

“Oh.” He relaxes. Then his eyes suddenly widen and he instantly unhands him.

“OH. Right, uh, sorry.” El is mostly confused at how fast Erik scrambles up. “You were having a nightmare last night and this just seemed like the thing to do and...yeah. Sorry.”

Wait, he had a nightmare? El does recall something unpleasant. Blurs mostly with his mum, Gemma, and maybe Chalky but nothing too specific.

“Did that happen?” El shakes his head. “I should be apologizing for troubling you.”

“Uh, no, that isn’t-”

“But thank you.” El smiles. “Really. You’ve done nothing but helped me since we met.”

He laughs saying the last because it’s true. Erik was a thief and knew just about everything right to do and say. It makes him feel almost guilty considering which one of them was supposed to be the Luminary but..maybe he can indulge a bit to know Erik would support him this much. Just as he said back at Manglegrove, they were partners now. He wondered if Erik knew just how happy those words had made him then? The reassurance that come what may, he wasn’t going to be alone.

Dear Yggdrassil, El couldn’t even imagine what he’d have done if he returned to his home alone and saw it in the state it was. Having goals actually did wonders to not think about it.

Speaking of which, they needed to get the Red Orb already and it would certainly be a long fight to retrieve it if the corpses were any clue.

“Are you okay with pancakes?” El asks. His sudden question confuses Erik but he still receives an answer; “Huh? Uh, yeah.”

“Sweet or savory?”

“Both are fine.”

El hums because with pancakes, that’s the only answer. Maybe some people found it weird but El always found it best when it was a marriage of the two rather than one or the other. Salt and sugar had that way of offsetting the other, like chilli on watermelon or ice cream with chips. 

He goes to unwrap the slabs of Sham Hatwitch meat from their bag. Magic casting aside, there was little difference between them and regular boars. From their hair down to their meat, they were identical. And since boars were similar to pigs, prepping them was a little easier. In this case, simply rubbing it down with plenty of salt before wrapping it up tight for a few days made for an okay bacon. It’s not the most delicious method but it was the easiest to do while on the go, something Chalky had taught him to prepare him if he ever needed to travel.

...but then Chalky already knew he had to leave at some point, didn’t he?

That thought leaves El feeling weird. Like he’s just had an epiphany; to know that maybe Chalky had spent his days preparing El for this journey without him ever realizing it. Perhaps he might actually be ready for this quest after all, but the secrecy is something he’s unsure of. Then again, it’s Chalky, and even now after all these years, El still trusts him with his life.

After he finishes the batter and slices the bacon up, El heats the pan up. The pancakes are first with how messy the pan always gets after bacon is cooked. The salty fat would taste too strong and El personally hated it when the small, burnt bits mixed with the pancake batter.

No. For him, the perfect pancakes had to be cooked on butter and butter alone; simplicity at its best. Any other flavour would come from the add-ons. Hence the salty bacon, light eggs, and sweet maple syrup. Especially the latter with how much could get soaked up into the cakey body. There is pancake and there is pancake after being drenched with maple syrup. And if that was too heavy, fruits always added a nice zing that cut through it all.

“The beds are packed.” Erik tells him, having finished tying the rope on their rolled up mats. El nods, acknowledging before he hands him his share of breakfast. “Thanks. Man, I haven’t eaten these in years.”

It’s a surprising statement to hear from Erik because El had always assumed that it was a staple everywhere.

“What do you usually eat?”

“Just buttered bread, boiled eggs, and coffee.” Erik breaks the yolks as he answers, pulling it over the strips of bacon. “And if I had some on hand, cheese or ham.”

El nods. “No vegetables?”

“Goddess no.” Erik chuckles and El makes a mental note of that.

“You don’t like vegetables?”

“Who doesn’t?”

“What about squash or potato?”

“Well, I guess those are okay.” He rubs his chin. “And tomatoes, cucumber...just nothing green like broccoli or spinach.”

“So eggplants and bell peppers…?”

Erik exaggeratedly and humorously gags at his question. “Eew! Look, if it doesn’t look or taste like a vegetable, I’ll happily eat it.”

It’s the oddest rephrase El has ever heard but is still more or less understandable. If babysitting Cole had taught him anything, it was that vegetables did have some kind of consistent flavour that made them universally hated.

“But I’ll eat regular vegetables if I have to.” Erik scratches his cheek. “Don’t want to waste food. Anyway, what about you? Was this what you normally had in uh, Cobblestone?”

El nods, giving him a smile to let him know that the subject was fine now.

“Sometimes, but not always. It’s pretty heavy on the stomach and not as nutritious as salad or soup.” He recalls all of his mum's meals with a melancholic gaze. “More often we would eat those instead with toasted bread and jam, cheese, or meat. Sometimes we’d have omelette or a bowl of yogurt and cereal… Oh, and rice with fish and meat.”

“Wow.” Erik says, adjusting his seat as he stares at his shoes. “That’s a lot. I’m kinda jealous that you got to eat that much growing up.”   
  
“We are farmers.” El replied and from the way Erik straightens up a bit, he guessed he must have forgotten to tell him that. “We grow and raise all our food ourselves. My mum would say that the best way to love farming is to enjoy the  **fruits** of our labor.” he laughs a little at the joke. “Part of why we ate different things each day was to both enjoy the different crops and so to never get sick of it. I mean, if you ate eggs everyday, pretty sure you would come to hate it.”

Erik chuckles. “No arguments there.”

“Well, if it helps then, I know how to cook all kinds of vegetables. You won’t even notice it’s there.” El tells him and Erik just snorts.

“I can’t even tell if that’s a threat or not.” He muses but nonetheless, seems to welcome the idea. His eyes wander lower and suddenly, he points his fork at El’s still half-full plate. “Uh, you gonna finish that? We still have to head inside the temple. The sooner the better.”

El nods, understanding but a bit dejected. While he doesn’t need reminding that they’re currently in a hurry. These downtimes were few and comforting. It was like he was waking up again; he didn’t want to get up and leave comfy covers just yet. But he needs to, so he does, shovelling the food down as fast as he could.

A few minutes later, they both head back into the temple.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has taken longer than it should. Making the immediate transition to Hotto always turned up...weird. After awhile, I realised that it was because of disconnect between the previous chapter and to Hotto. Hence, this existence.
> 
> The recipe this time is rather simple, isn't it?
> 
> While you can use the ingredients above, pre-mixed ones save a lot of time. Tip from my sis who worked in McDonalds: After pouring the batter on the pan, pour a bit of maple syrup into it. I've tried it before and it's a messy, but good. Be careful not to burn it. 
> 
> That said...now is not really the time to go out and buy stuff. At least as freely anymore. Stay safe and take care.


	6. Creamy Crabid Croquette and Kani Miso (Hotto)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creamy Crabid Croquette ([Creamy Crab Croquette](https://www.justonecookbook.com/creamy-crab-croquette/))  
People of all ages love the contrast between the light filling and the crispy exterior.
> 
> Ingredients:  
For the sauce:  
3 tbsp butter  
½ onion, diced  
⅓ cup flour  
1 ¼ cup milk  
⅓ cup Crabid meat  
Salt  
Pepper
> 
> For the coating:  
Flour  
2 eggs, beaten  
Breadcrumbs  
  
In regards to preparing and cleaning Crabid for this dish, go to pg. 41.
> 
> First, make the Crabid cream sauce by putting the butter into a pan over a medium fire. Once it melts, add the onions and saute it until it turns translucent. Take the pan off the fire and mix the flour in a little at a time with a spatula for one or two minutes. Put it back on the fire and pour in the milk. Mix it until it has a thick, sticky consistency similar to a slightly doughy batter. Finally, season it with salt and pepper before adding the shredded Crabid meat and mixing it again. Transfer the sauce into another pan and cover it with a plate. Let it chill for one hour.
> 
> In the meantime, prepare the coating ingredients in three separate bowls. After taking the cooled sauce out, coat your hands with oil and take a handful. Roll the sauce into a small sausages and coat it in flour, eggs, and then breadcrumbs in that exact order. Deep fry them until they’re golden brown.
> 
> *You can add cheese alongside the Crabid meat as stuffing before deep frying it!
> 
> \---
> 
> Kani Miso (Kani Miso)  
A popular late-night snack in Hotto Steppe with a strong taste.
> 
> Crabid Fat  
2 tbsp sake
> 
> First, fill the Crabid carapace with the Crabid fat. Use a small, stone bowl if the carapace is unavailable. Add the sake and grill it over a fire on low heat for three or four minutes.
> 
> Eat it in small quantities at a time with sake.
> 
> *If you don’t drink liquor, eat it with rice instead.

“Leave the lost child here. We will see that she is safe As clams in their shells.” The bartender assured, letting Connie sit on a nearby bar stool as the waitress went to get her something to eat.

El’s shoulders relaxed again. He bowed to the old man, a gesture of thanks.

His help took a literal and emotional load off their shoulders. There was no way they could take her with them to a monsters’ den and one of them staying behind to look after would leave the other undermanned. This outcome really was best for everyone.

“Thanks. We appreciate it.” Erik says. He flinches when an angry screeching erupts behind them.

“Come on, you two! Two people to save!? Time is of the essence?! Quit fooling around already!”

Erik snarls under his breath. “Yeah, yeah! We’re coming! Don’t get socks twisted!”

El pats his shoulders with an apologetic laugh. It’s a simple action but it eases Erik’s anger all the same. And anyway, it’s not like he doesn’t understand. If his sister suddenly went missing too, he’d probably be more ballistic than her. 

“You go on ahead.” Erik tells him, pushing the other boy’s hand off. “I’m just gonna check my stuff.”

Actually their supplies, but he keeps that part to himself while he waves El off. Since arriving to Hotto, it became obvious that their current equipment isn’t going to stay up to snuff for too long. Top that with their meagre funds and this small sidetrack and Erik can’t help worrying if they have enough to last them until the next town.

He opens his bag on the counter. As expected, all that could be dug up were a next change of clothes, some leftovers, and small change amounting to a miserable 500G. Even adding his money with El’s, that leave only around 1500G-

“That jar in your hands.” The bartender suddenly speaks, slowly walking towards him. He looks at the Crabid fat collected inside with a knowing smile. “A nectar of earthen hues. But fruit from the seas.”

“You know what this is?” Erik asks and the man smiles, slowly taking the jar from him to inspect it.

“A favorite here. We call it Kani Miso. Fine with a warm drink.”

“All the way out here? Near a volcano? Sorry to say if I find that surprising.”

“Not with our neighbours. We trade from Gondolia. High quality goods. And in all that time. Never have I seen so much. This grade is good too. Ah, yes, I see now. This is from no crab at all. But from a Crabid.”

“Huh.” Erik folds his arms. “For a bartender, you sure know a lot about seafood and monster delicacies.”

“I tend to the drinks. Good food brings out the flavour. And thus, I know both.”

Watching him grin, Erik rolls his eyes and takes the jar back. “Good drinks should be with good food, eh? Then it’s a shame we can;t afford it.” He starts to pack everything, hardly in the mood for a sales pitch.

The old man strokes his beard. “Lack of coin woes you? But fortune smiles on you yet. Today is special.”

Special. The man who invited him and El to the free baths mentioned it too.

“You guys keep bringing that up. Is it some kind of...holiday?”

He shakes his head, lowering it in a solemn bow. “Dragon of Hotto. Vicious, cruel Tastunaga. The beast that slew all. It tormented us.” Then his expression brightens. “But today, he has been slain. By our strongest, Ryuu. So we celebrate. Just for you, a big discount. Join us in full swing. I shall cook with these. My services; the lone charge. Say...800G?”

Erik blinks because that...is quite generous. He can't help but laugh now. “That is a good deal. I guess I can’t say no, can I?”

The old man just smirks cockily at him.

All the thief can do is throw up his arms. “Alright. I’ll take it up. Really, though, uh...thank-”

“QUIT DAWDLING, PORCUPINE HEAD!! OR I WILL GO IN AND DRAG YOU OUT MYSELF!!”

Everyone in the room jumps. With a grumble and swear, Erik quickly stuffs the rest of his belongings into his bag. “Right, right, right… Need to go.” The Crabid fat and meat obviously stay behind on the counter. He waves the bartender off just as he leaves in a hurry, less the little brat comes in and makes good on her threat.

They don’t return until well into the evening.

* * *

Hotto was now fully committed to Erik’s list of places he _loved_ because this dinner has been worth far more than the bartender’s offer.

For starters, he made the drinks free and refillable! From the beers down to the tea, the former of which he and El accepted while Serena picked the other. Veronica, naturally because her body was far too young, didn’t have much choice besides water, tea, and juice–and to not seem kiddy , ordered tea. Hearing her rave about how small their kids menu was cracked Erik’s insides hard.

Then there was the food. _The food_. Dear Yggdrassil was the old man underselling it. Or maybe not with how good their liquor was. The beer was aromatic and not too sour or bitter. There was some complexity to it but not to the point of overwhelming that he always disliked. And instead of big meals to drink down, the bartender served them on small plates. Pass the edamame that Erik hated–bless El and Serena for offering to take the rest–it all tasted amazing. Sweet eggs with grated radish, grilled rice balls, deep fried tofu in sauce... 

To the bartender's credit, he really did find ways to incorporate the monster into almost everything. Crabid was mixed into the eggs while for the rice balls, he simply combined the meat with green onions and other seasonings with the rice that was then lightly grilled and wrapped in dried seaweed. Only the tofu didn’t have anything but it was deep fried, light, savory, and a little sweet. Erik wasn’t going to complain the slightest.

“For the next servings, Crabid croquette and Crabid fried rice.”

The moment he lays the plate of rice down, Erik sees El’s eyes gleam at him knowingly while the girls admire the presentation. It’s the same dish but the portions are smaller and far better looking with the bits of Crabid meat garnished on top and a stem of parsley. As for the croquette, there were three per plate; served some lettuce, slice of lemon, and dollop of mayonnaise.

The bartender bows. “Please, enjoy yourselves.”

They all waste no time digging in.

Serena tries the rice first, and squeals immediately afterwards with a contented sigh, hand resting against her cheek. “Oh, this is absolutely heavenly!”

She’s absolutely right. Compared to his, the old man’s dish was on a completely different level. The crab-like taste was somehow both stronger and more refined with a depth that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Being able to finally have it with a drink only made it better. Goddess, Erik hadn’t expected his wish to come true so soon and he couldn’t stop grinning!

“Huh? Your face is red already?” Veronica grins cheekily at him, leaning in on the table and hands reaching forward. “Here I thought you could take your alcohol better! I guess I can help you a bit if can’t finish-”

Erik quickly pulls his glass back, but only by a few inches so it’s just out of the mage’s reach, which quickly gets under her skin. 

“Come on!”

He shoots her a mischievous grin. “Nice try.”

Veronica huffs, stabbing her croquette with chopstick as she simply went back to eating. Her mood shifts a little after a crunch.

“Hmm. This almost reminds me of mum’s back home. Serena, you’ve got to try it!”

“Oh! Oh my, you’re right!” Serena giggles behind her hand. “And it’s so soft and creamy inside.”

Out of curiosity, Erik cuts his right through the middle using his knife. The inside practically oozes out. It’s thick, deep fried, and savory, with a slight hint of sweetness from the milk and salt from the seasoning. The slight zing from the lemon juice and mayonnaise did cut the oiliness but it’s only with the beer that it’s washed down completely.

Seriously, if they had been paying per glass, their debt would run much longer. Erik was already on his third glass despite not being much of a drinker and El, who was just starting out, was well halfway into his second. It’s deceptive how much these small servings could make you drink.

“We had something like this in Cobblestone too.” El giggles with a half-drunk hum. “They mixed some meat in and used cheese for stuffing. ”

“That sounds delicious! All this talk makes me want to try cooking something again.”

“You cook?” Erik asks but he’s not that surprised. If these two really did travel all over to find El, then they would have to in order to survive.

“I try. I’m not that skilled yet but it’s always fun.” Serena laughs. Veronica does too but it sounds almost stiff to his ears; like she’s nervous.

“What about you two? Please tell me you both know how. It would be tough if any cooking is left to just Serena and I.”

“Of course. I’ve been on the road for years.” Erik responds. “And I’ve made for more people. Believe me, food will be no problem.”

El bobs his head. “Let’s share…! You could make something… We’d love to try your cookin.”

That makes Veronica weakly laugh again, except this time it’s even stiffer and instead of laughing, she’s just saying, “Hahahaha…”

It’s the most obvious red flag Erik has ever seen and he has a sudden bad feeling of what it all suggests.

The famous dish finally arrives, the one the bartender had told Erik about earlier. Kani miso, or grilled crab paste in alcohol, was similar to the Crab Fat (yes, that’s really what it’s called) they served in most Snifleheim pubs. The difference was that it was more commonly cooked with butter instead, and was typically eaten with slices of sourdough. They also weren’t served on small, lit grills, which Erik had to admit, really went far for the presentation. The paste, inside a carapace of a Blue Crab, was still bubbling from the heat, exuding a strangely sweet yet crabby aroma with a slightly burnt undertone. It had been mixed together with green onions and shaves of Crabid meat, with two larger strips laid horizontally, looking like an equal sign.

The sisters were each handed small bowls of rice while he and El were given two glasses of what looked like hot water. It was only by the sweet fragrance that Erik realizes it was sake. He had only ever drank it a few times but after tonight, Erik might consider drinking it more often.

“I just can’t get enough of the smokey taste.” Serena said, patting the meat on the rice. The latter was disappearing quicker than the Crabid.

Veronica mumbles in agreement, chewing on a chopstick. “It looks kinda gross but the taste is nice and strong. Liquor would suit this better.”

“Oh, I must disagree! You can’t enjoy the taste without the rice mellowing it out.”

Veronica shrugs at her sister with a deep, disappointed sigh before turning to him. “Well, what’s say you two? How’s it in comparison?”

She grins cheekily at him, already knowing the answer while he alternates between small bites and sips. “For once, we both agree.” Erik answers. “Hot sake, hot food...I’d order more if it was possible.”

“I never had...it’s like crab and tasty...!” El suddenly breaks into giggles, looking a bit redder than normal. Erik can only imagine how flushed his own face is now too. It didn’t look like it but the sake hit strong. Almost like vodka actually, and it left Erik feeling warm and fuzzy from head to toe. He can’t help whimsically grinning at El in return. 

“Uggghhh!” Veronica flops on the table, hands reaching out to him with her hands making a ‘gimme’ gesture. “You’re both killing me here!! Let me have just one sip, please!!!”

She groans the last word out like a child sick of waiting for her turn in a game.

On a whim of sympathy, nostalgia, and mostly from how loose he was, Erik just exhaled long, “Fine…!”

Veronica’s ecstatic, “YES!!” only barely registered. By the time he’s realized what he’s just said, his warm glass is already snatched from his hands.

“No, wait-!”

El actually snaps out of his trance and leans in to try and take it but Veronica is faster, turning away from the table to recline out of his reach. Then she raises the glass with both hands to her lips. She’s not gulping it down but not sipping it either. Veronica more or less just lets it flow down before Serena stands up and grabs it.

“That was good!” The young mage lets out a contented sigh, face red as a tomato now with a cocky grin. “Thank you, Erik! You’re far more generous than I thought!”

The man in question just looks away, hand hiding his face to avoid her younger sister’s glares. 

“Veronica! You mustn’t ingest alcohol with your young body!”

She just hicced and waved. “C’mon, Serena! You’ve got to try it. It’s so good~”

“No more drinks. I think everyone’s had their fill.” Serena glances between them and then Veronica. He and El both nod without question.

“Don’t be such a killjoy, sis!”

Serena ignores Veronica for a moment to slide the glass back to Erik before continuing. “Perhaps we should leave dinner at this as well. We all could use rest after today.”

“Yeah.” Erik sips his drink a little more quickly, this time keeping eyes trained on Veronica, who looks utterly shocked and throws her arms up in the air.

“No! The night’s still young!” She proclaims, hands on her hips now. “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure? Night markets, bars–?”

The energy Veronica still had is truly something to behold and it makes Erik shake his head at her. “You seriously aren’t tired after today? I mean, we just fought through a whole temple of monsters. I’m almost beat.”

“I can’t say I’m tired but, hmm…” Serena fumbles at the sleeve of her green dress, tugging at the muddied creases. “I’d really like to go back to the inn and take a hot bath. Or maybe the hot spring if it’s still open.”

“I think they’re open twenty-four-seven.” El answers and suddenly, Serena perks up.

“Really?!”

She turns towards Veronica with a look . Wide, sparkling eyes, hands clenched together, and a smile going from ear to ear. “Then we simply must go! Oh please, Veronica! It would be so lonely if I went by myself.”

Disappointment riddles the girl’s face but there’s a small hint of amusement in the way the edges of her mouth pull upwards. “I guess that’s a night time activity too. Okay, we’ll go together.”

“Wonderful!” Serena claps.

“Eh. Well, I’m just gonna go hit the hay then.” Erik says, stretching his arms up. “I just want to sleep on a nice bed. Leave today’s troubles to tomorrow’s me.”

“Here, here.” Veronica groans, resting her head on her hands. “Starting with a way to get to Yggdrasil.”

“What about-” Before Erik finishes, they all see El already nodding off in his seat. His body lurches forward momentarily. The sudden motion is enough to jolt him awake again.

“Huh? W-What is it…?”

“Going back to the inn.” Erik pushes himself up and grabs El by his shoulder. “Come on, partner. I’ll even let you lean on me while we walk.”

* * *

Most of the rooms in the inn had two beds each, which was perfect for their new travel group of four. The sisters had their own room while he and El shared the other. Furnishing was minimalist though, having nothing inside but the beds and two shelves that held iron pots, straw mats, and woven baskets. It’s a picture far from fancy but it still beats sleeping outside by miles.

Erik pulls El’s arm off his shoulders to sit him down on the leftmost bed before going to dump the rest of his things–except his trusty knife, of course–into one of the baskets provided.

The beds are semi soft and, most importantly, clean. It’s such a simple thing but a bed with no ticks, dirt, or stain is something truly to be cherished in his profession. He happily kicks off his socks and shoes before falling against the mattress.

“Finally!” Erik stretches on the bed sheets. He turns his head over to the bed beside him, about to say something to El only to see that he’s already fast asleep, slightly curled up and still wearing all his uncomfortable gear and his soiled boots.

Erik just shakes his head at the hopeless sight with a half grin before mustering what will he could to get back up.

Now undressing the Luminary can be officially thrown into his repertoire as his...subordinate? Whatever it was his role was.

The boots and sword are first because they were easy enough. His bag though was a pain because, yes, go tie a leather belt into a knot on top of using a buckle. That is very practical and easy to undo. Fortunately, El remained largely unresponsive to all of Erik’s tugs and pulls at him. The booze had knocked him out completely, which is natural given this is his first time getting drunk. 

Erik finally slides the leather belt off. He undoes El’s tunic last, pulling it out from behind him and folding it up in his arms.

Erik pulls the blanket over El again, contently watching the boy pull the fabric in with a sleepy grin. He sets El’s things away before blowing the candles out.

To Erik’s comfort, the room is hardly dark thanks to the light coming in through the window. Pitch darkness was never his thing. Good for working, no arguments to be made, but never for sleeping or really anything for his sanity. Even as a kid, the glow from the stars and moonlight were always a source of ease. Especially on long voyages when the days were particularly rough.

To a couple of children him and Mia, with almost nothing to claim as their own but their names, such a simple thing seemed magical. A black sky that stretched endlessly, littered with thousands of stars that somehow never changed, with some that formed constellations. And each constellation had their own stories and meanings too. Erik can’t even remember how many times he’d get lost telling Mia stories and imagining what it’d be like if they were there instead, being the heroes, adventurers, or even the gods of those tales.

Erik tightly clenched his blanket and stared at the ceiling.

“Ah, no more…” He jolts immediately at the sudden mumbling. Thankfully, it's no ghost. Just El, who was now hugging his pillow. “Maybe one...crab...or two.”

A grin spreads itself on his face. Just like that, his worries ease, if ever so slightly.

“Well, no nightmares tonight.” Erik pulls up his blanket. “G’night.” He says to no one and soons falls asleep as normal. The knife remains under his pillow like always.

  
  
  


* * *

**Other** **dishes**:

Egg dish: Crab Tamagoyaki

Rice ball dish: [Crab rice balls](https://www.tastemade.com/videos/crab-rice-balls)

Tofu dish: Agedashi tofu

[Recipe for imitation crab cream croquette](https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/146557-easy-imitation-crabmeat-cream-croquettes)

Crab Fat: Swan Oyster Depot's Crab Fat (not actually any Scandinavian recipe)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, there is no focus on cooking for this chapter because this the first time everyone's eating out! This also the umpteenth time of a crab recipe. But they gotta get rid of it all!
> 
> Kani miso is something I had to put in. It's really delicious with a strong taste. Just don't eat it often. It's CRAB FAT. I.e., high in cholesterol. Bad for the health. The croquette recipe is mostly based of Just One Cookbook's (https://www.justonecookbook.com/creamy-crab-croquette/). To be honest, there are many variations for this. The simplest I found is just butter, flour, milk, soup powder and seasoning, and crab. One for imitation crab is provided above.
> 
> In a manga called Oishinbo (sake), there is a saying that is roughly along the lines of: if it goes with sake, it will go with rice, and vice versa. This is because sake is made from rice so it's only natural that food paired with rice goes with sake. But almost everything goes with rice, right? In the manga, they parade this a lot! Sake can go with anything, even seafood, shellfish, and escargot. Unlike wine which is harder to pair apparently? My only recollection is that the reason involves the sugar content in sake but I'm not entirely certain. Sake warming is also something covered in the manga.
> 
> During the Sapporo Snow Festival, many stalls line Odori Park. They sell all kinds of food. Grilled seafood and meat, sweets, chocobanana, soup...and some sell hot liquor. Hot wine, amazake (non-alcoholic drink made from fermenting rice. Tastes sweet.), beer, and of course, hot sake.


	7. Spicy Galloptian Eggs (Gallopolis Pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spicy Galloptian Eggs ([Shakshuka](https://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2015/10/shakshuka-say-it-with-me-now.html) x [Nopalitos](https://anopencupboard.com/2006/05/30/shakshuka-nopalitos/))  
Toasted bread is a must side while eating this wonderfully spicy, Galloptian dish. 2 tbsp oil  
1 large onion, diced  
1 tsp salt  
½ cup cactus cutlet, cleaned and diced  
½ cup bell peppers, diced  
2 duneberries, sliced in halves  
1 tsp cumin  
½ tsp cayenne powder  
3 cups of tomatoes, crushed  
½ cup of water  
6 large eggs  
Soft cheese In regards to preparing and cleaning cactus cutlet for this dish, go to pg. 8. Pour the oil in a pan that’s between medium to high heat and saute the onions until they’ve softened. Add the bell peppers, cactus cutlet, and duneberries and continue to saute it for a few minutes until the vegetables have become tender. Next, add the spices and after stir frying it for a minute, add the tomatoes. Cook it for a few minutes before stirring in the water. Let it simmer for about fifteen minutes on medium heat. Be sure to stir it occasionally. After the vegetables have cooked, make small indentations in the sauce with a spoon or ladle and crack the eggs inside. Leave the pan on a low fire about five minutes or longer if you want the yolks cooked through. Once that’s all done, crumble any soft cheese you have on the dish and serve with toasted bread. *If an oven is available, you can crack the eggs into the pan and then transfer it into the oven to bake. This will ensure evenly cooked eggs. If cactus cutlet is unavailable, you can simply use other fleshy fruits and vegetables or bell peppers substitutes.

* * *

Erik was going to kill someone. Probably before Veronica would kill him.

What were the odds that the second man they had rescued had to be Noah the know-it-all? Slim to none as far Erik was concerned because the man was slippery as an eel, moving from place to place and rarely ever staying long enough for anyone to remember his face. So the fact they found him  _ and _ saved–meaning he now  _ owed _ them–might as well be a double lottery win. And true to his name, he provided them a lead immediately. Unfortunately, that lead was a shiny branch located in Gallopolis.

Gallopolis, famous for its trade, horse racing, and being smack in the middle of a scorching, arid, desert.

It’s only three hours away from Hotto–one and half from the checkpoint–but the sun had ways of making that distance feel  _ much _ longer.

“Ugh…! How long before we get there?” Veronica wipes the sweat off her chin, grunting with each step in her ragged breathing. “So bloody...hot.”

“You complaining isn’t helping.” Erik huffs, tucking his hoodie further to block out the sun’s glares. 

“Easy for you to say! You’re actually dressed for this!”

“So would you if you had anything else but an overly frilly dress!”

“Well,  _ sorry _ but a certain  _ someone _ was in such a hurry to leave…!”   
  


“Oh, do  _ please _ stop yelling!” Serena politely and frustratedly tells them both. 

The two grumble but cease their bickering. For now.

“Why don’t we rest by those trees for a few minutes?” El suggests, pointing at two palm trees just ahead of them. The shadows they were casting aren’t that big but they were tired and sweaty, so it would suffice. They all unanimously groan in agreement.

“How are...you not tired though, El? I mean, you’re wearing a  _ black turtleneck _ for crying out loud!”

He nods at Veronica, acknowledging her question nonchalantly. “That’s why I rolled up my sleeves.”

Veronica groans and rolls her eyes. “I mean, aren’t you at least hot under there? Compared to us, you hardly seem to mind this heat!”

“Well, he is from, uh, Cobblestone, was it?” Serena glances back at El who looks at her approvingly.

“That’s correct. Near Heliodor.”

“Yes. So he must be used to this kind of weather already. This is nothing like in Arboria.”

“Also, farmer.” El adds. “I work under the sun almost everyday. Still...it never gets this hot.”

“Arboria…”

“Hm? What was that, Erik?” Veronica shouts to him, causing him to wince irritably.

“Arboria neighbours Snifleheim. It’s up some mountains, right?”   
  


“Why, that’s correct.” Veronica smirks at him. “My, my...you actually know your geography… I’m impressed.”   
  
“How touching. I’m so happy you are.”

“Ugggh!! It’s a compliment! No need to be so sarcastic!”

“Really? Then thanks!”

Serena is already shaking her head at El, who looks as exhausted as she is. “Enough, both of you. We’re almost there.”

Erik clicks his tongue, watching Veronica pout with her arms firmly crossed.

* * *

“I love you water. I’ll never take you for granted again.” Veronica glugs hers down for a quick moment and gasps heartily once she parts the flask from her lips.

“Don’t drink it all at once, Veronica.”

“I know, Serena. Don’t worry, I’ve left more than enough.”

Erik sits farther away from twins, quietly drinking small sips beside El who just watches him with a kind of kicked-puppy expression.

“Sorry.” The other boy finally says and Erik raises an eyebrow at him.

“Huh? What’re you sorry for?”

“Perhaps we should have travelled at night. It never occured to me that it would be this hot.”

“Well, it’s not like royals keep their doors open through the night.” Erik shrugs. “If we wait that long, then that’s a day loss to getting this branch. And time isn’t exactly on our side.”

“Still, I don’t want you all pushing yourselves.” El looks between him and the sisters, particularly at Veronica.

“The pintsize can take care of herself. Or have you forgotten all the Cactuars she blew up back there?”

El knows but he still can’t help himself. It just didn’t sit well with him to make her go through a desert with such a small body, but if he told Veronica that, she’d bop his head with her staff and call him an idiot.

“That girl is more competent than she looks. She can take care of herself. Now if she could actually act like  _ the adult _ she says she is...”

“Come on. There’s no need to be too hard on Veronica. I didn’t wake up until noon.”

“And you also had all your things packed and ready to go instead of waiting until the last minute. And then we had to go back because you forgot something.”

El can only offer a weak laugh. “We all have those days. You must have had some too.”

Erik grunts as an answer because he did have those days and the punishment was always worse than a scolding. There’s nothing worse than being put down til you felt like trash.

...which is how he’s making Veronica feel, isn’t it?

“Erik? Are you alright?” El asks, tugging his sleeve and he nods, tucking himself in.

“Yeah.”

El blinks and so far, there’s nothing in his eyes or mannerisms that hint he’s noticing anything. He just stares at him with a mix of innocence like a kid watching a stranger, waiting for something interesting to happen, and a watchfulness that made Erik feel like he was trying to find  _ something _ from him. Then he suddenly gasps, leaning back with an “Aha!”-like expression.

“That’s right. I never thanked you for last night. Serena said you carried me back to the apartment?”   
  
“Uh, yeah. I guess you wouldn’t remember.”   
  
El’s cheeks flush a little again, settling to look out at the miles and miles of sand. “You had to pick up after me, quite literally this time. Sorry.”

“I’m just surprised you don’t have a hangover.” Erik leans on his arm with a smirk. “So? How’d it feel? Getting drunk for the first time.”

  
“I actually don’t remember much.” El turns to him. “But my sleep was definitely better. I don’t think I’ve slept that well in awhile.”

He can’t help snorting. El was really like no other.

“The first time I drank was...maybe five years ago.” He stares at his feet. “It was right after my first job and someone bought a round for me. I didn’t think I could turn it down so I tried it. Tasted like poison mixed with cough syrup.”

“It wasn’t with Derk?”

Erik shakes his head. The memory is enough for a wistful laugh, though. “Nah. Most partnerships were a one and done thing. Derk’s just one of those rare cases that stuck around longer for actual friendship. It’s honestly for the better. One night, you could be yucking it up like ol’ buds and then next morning, you’d wake up with everything but your clothes gone.”

“Oh.” El huddles tighter on himself. “That must’ve been awful.”   
  
“What? Oh, no! That didn’t happen.” Erik quickly clarified. “I actually never saw him again. Last I heard, he left the scene. Became uh...bounty hunter or something?” He shrugs. “Not to say that didn’t happen sometimes. But I paid them all back.” With a twirl of his knife, he flashes a smirk at El. Erik sees him relax, though looking less amused and more relieved.

“Well, if it’s one piece of wisdom I’ve gotten from all that, it’s that if you’re gonna get drunk, do it with friends you trust.”

“And I had you, Veronica, and Serena.” El grins at him. “Thank you again, Erik.”

Erik’s brain promptly shorts out for a second there. Enough that he finds himself babbling something incoherently for a while before finally managing to say, “No probs.” in a sporadic tone. 

El tilts his head with immense confusion. “Are you...okay?”

“Yup. Never better.” Erik answers as he would normally.

Goddess, what was wrong with him? As if to answer him, El asks him, “You’re not overheated or anything, are you?”

Overheated?

Erik momentarily feels his neck. It’s warm. Whether that’s normal or not, he’s not sure.

“Maybe? Heat and I never exactly jived.” He huffs shallowly, wiping some sweat off. “I’ll be fine. Just gotta rest for a minute.”

El goes quiet again, nodding with tight lips that could either indicate doubt or worry. There’s definitely a little bit of guilt, which was more worrisome. His smile does little to hide any of it. “Alright. You should drink some more then. We don’t want you dehydrated.”

* * *

Gallopolis is not what El expects of a desert city. The place bustles with life with no one even sweating from the heat as they all talk excitedly amongst themselves. There’re children running through the streets, a few men arguing excitedly with shouts and grins, and rows of small stalls line the city walls. Some were selling memorabilias. Others offered various pots, bowls, vases, and other earthen or ceramic wares. There were meat cuts strung up and dried for sale while others were selling spices, which were filled in baskets and metal pans, along with a variety of tropical fruits like dates and figs.

What interested him most were the fabric shops. Bolts were rolled up and lined upright in several stalls, varying in color and appearance. A few were hung on the walls behind as displays, showing off the different designs and materials the shopkeepers had.

They differed completely from each other. One was colorful, using bright and contrasting colors like yellow and blue on red, with intricate patterns that resembled flowers. Meanwhile, another looked rougher, having been woven by hand with course but stronger material and used simple, geometric patterns. It was definitely a world away from Heliodor’s textiles, where much of their patterns were handsewn after the fabric was ready, and had a more regal aesthetic with the popular use of gold and bright red colors with motifs of crosses and birds.

“Oh, just look at all these people! How marvellous! Is there some kind of festival going on, I wonder?” Next to him, Serena also looked utterly swept off her feet by the scene, looking almost ready to run into the crowd herself to do some shopping.

Anticipation is clear in the air; the same kind that was in Hotto but unrestrained. Nothing but merriment filled their sights. 

Veronica steps forward with a cocky grin. “Hmm...Yeees...Of course…Gallopolis is the kingdom of the desert knights, isn’t it? And of the racetrack where they love to compete. I think we’ve arrived in town just in time for the horse-racing festival!” Her eyes sparkle.

Erik frowns at her with a sigh. “Well, you go play with ponies if you like. I’m off to look for the Yggdrasil branch. That’s why we’re here, in case you’ve forgotten…”

Veronica sneers indignantly, watching Erik strut off and she just wishes she was big enough to sock his face in. But she settles for complaining, because ‘punching people is bad.’ “Oh, let Mr. Moody No-Fun go off on his own if he wants.” She throws her arms on her hips. “There’s nothing to stop us having a little look around while we’re here.”

El clutches the strap of his bag. “But we do have to get the branch soon.”   
  
Veronica is exasperated. “Not you too!” 

“Why don’t we go into the palace and see what we can do first?” El suggests softly, trying not to make the mood worse. He knows Veronica is tired and just wants to rest for a bit. “We can enjoy ourselves afterwards. We’ll have the whole afternoon and evening to do what we like.”

Veronica drags her hands down her cheeks. “Neither of you can just relax for five minutes, can’t you? Alright, you’re the Luminary. We’ll follow you…” she mutters, hanging her head with so much disappointment that El can almost physically feel the guilt chewing at him. “I promise we’ll go shopping right after. We need to get lunch anyway.”

“Now you remind me of food! It’s already three!” She kicks the sand while following behind him. 

They catch up to Erik so they can all meet with the Sultan together, which goes about as well as El expected but thankfully not because he was out to get them.

“I have no time to grant an audience today. You must leave. Immediately!” The Sultan shoos, too preoccupied with perfecting his speech for the festival, which was in fact, to celebrate his son’s coming of age. 

Before any of them could speak to hopefully convince the Sultan otherwise, the doors suddenly burst open. A young man strides down the cyan carpeting, tall and confident and lightly dressed in bright green and yellow garbs. His red cape flutters and he’s wearing a white turban with a red jewel at the center of the crown, from which a white feather with red ends protrudes. It was a garish look and from the way some of the guards saluted him on his way up the stairs, El guessed that he was no ordinary man.

“Father! My training is complete!” He proclaims loudly upon arriving at the dais, his arm outstretched to strike a pose. Prince Faris, as El realizes it, strolls forward without sparing any of them a glance.

The Sultan hurries down from near his throne to meet his son. The two stare out at each other for a good while before he clears his throat. “Then give me the Pledge!”

Prince Faris immediately centers both his feet, his right fist raised up to his chest where his heart would be as if saluting, and recites, “A knight’s word is his bond, his kingdom his master! He serves the weak untiringly, challenges the strong un–…” he stutters, as does his royal demeanor. El looks over at an unimpressed Erik. “Unflinchingly!” Prince Faris completes with a relieved chuckle.

El wonders if it’s just him feeling the grandness in the room fading quickly. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Veronica suddenly wearing her usual, annoyed expression. Meanwhile, Serena takes to keeping her polite smile like always, which makes it hard for El to read her.

“...And never retreats in the face of adversity!”

“Mm! Yes, very good. The Knight’s Pledge must always be your guide, my son.” The Sultan grins proudly before returning to his throne, ignorant of the small slip up. Perhaps it was unimportant after all.

“You are a man now, Faris, and tomorrow’s race shall prove it.” He explains from his seat. “You must show your people that you are worthy of their adulation.”

“Fear not, beloved Father! I shall disappoint neither you nor they!” Prince Faris follows his oath with a humble bow and dramatic twirl, marching forth with a smile too pleased with himself. But halfway on his stride, his eyes turn right to El, and he stops.

“Oh…” Prince Faris says with sudden interest. El is relieved, thinking for a minute that perhaps now they had  _ someone’s _ attention, but then Prince Faris steps back for a bit.

El watches with mixed confusion at the prince who’s now… studying him? Very slowly, looking over him from toe to head and back several times with more investment than what El is used to. The man is royalty so he hardly knows what else to do but to stay still and let him continue.

“What is your name, stranger? And what brings you to Gallipolis?” He asks.

El immediately lights up with hope and, without hesitation, answers Faris. A brief introduction and a description of a rainbow-colored branch later, Prince Faris crosses his arms.

“Surely he speaks of the Rainbough… It is the only treasure of our kingdom that would warrant such a description…” He mutters to himself before smiling. “I believe I can assist you, friend. Visit me in my chambers at the foot of the great staircase. I shall await you there.”

El fights a grin. Progress despite the seeming wall!

He turns to his friends, expecting an equal reaction from everyone. Maybe El’s missed something because both Erik and Veronica had something other than that on their faces. It looked like their usual selves but twitchier. They’re also staring at Prince Faris’ direction.

“...chump.” She mumbles under her breath.

Erik actually nods beside her. “But we might as well see what we can get out of this. Let’s  _ all _ go to his chambers.”

“Well, that is what he invited us to do.” Serena says. At least she is equally as baffled as El. Prince Faris’ manners were certainly eccentric, but El doesn’t sense any bad intentions.

“Perhaps it’s something he doesn’t feel safe divulging out in the open.” El states, hoping to ease all their worries. “We’ll know once we talk.”

No one says anything back but Erik looks far more disgruntled now. Serena keeps her eyes on her sister, who was now shaking her wand dangerously. For all their sakes, El really hopes he’s right and they don’t wind up in prison again.

* * *

Veronica’s quick uptake comforts Erik because it truly cemented two things for him; that she was truly bold and was decently loyal to their small band. Her scathing bluntness with strangers was honestly nothing new for him but never before has Erik met  _ anyone _ fearlessly bring that same attitude to the face of royalty. And as far as Erik was concerned now, Veronica was twenty notches up in his book.

And from her unsatisfied but less threatening side glances at him, Erik would like to think that he’s up in her book too. They really didn’t have a choice with how oblivious Serena and El were-

“Oh, it’s you.” A guard standing by a pillar sternly says to them. “Prince Faris is waiting for you in his chambers. It’s through the doors over there. Do not keep him busy.”

While El thanks him for his directions, Erik exchanges an annoyed but wary look with Veronica. The slight tension in her grip of the wand doesn’t go unnoticed. Veronica is ready for a fight.

They make their way to Prince Faris’ room, where they find him standing confidently by the foot of his king-sized bed.

Erik rests his left hand on his hip, a relaxed enough pose on the outside if you failed to notice his fingers twitch towards his knife.

“Ah, you came.” He smiles, sounding almost relieved by their arrival until he follows up with a quick, almost patronizing, “Thank you.” 

It was just the way he said it; the way he’d heard many royals and rich nobles say to the ‘poor, common folk’ for the simplest of actions that rubbed him the wrong way. Like they weren’t expecting them to act like regular, decent people.

Then Faris starts eyeing El again, inspecting him with another slow, fixed gaze that tunnels singularly on him.

“Yes, yes… Your height and physique are perfect!” He marvels. From behind, Erik hears Veronica mutter something. “And you have the face of...one who knows horses...”

The second that passes feels longer than it should. Erik takes care to make sure no one notices him when he turns back to Veronica. She doesn’t even look at him, only shrugging with a baffled stare at the prince.

Prince Faris clears his throat before turning his back to them. “You should be aware that the branch you seek is a royal treasure. My father is unlikely to give it away freely to some...wandering stranger. However, he might be persuaded to part with it if the request came from his beloved son. I have but one small favor to ask in return…”

Erik can see where this is going, but the prince’s request is cut short when he suddenly gasps and starts looking around his room in a panic.

“But the palace walls have so many unwelcome ears.” Faris whispers cautiously. Now that peaks Erik’s attention because what in the world could warrant a prince to feel like he’s being spied on in his own home? “...Ah! The noise of the circus will...protect our privacy. Will you join me there?”

El being El, nods without even a hint of hesitation.

“Then it is agreed. I will meet you at the entrance to that ridiculous tent this evening. Do not be late, please.”

And so, their royal meeting abruptly and uneventfully ends, and a strange sense of cautious relief washes over Erik.

“Oooh! A secret meeting! It feels like something out of a novel.” Serena giddily says.

Veronica could hardly care. “Uhuh. Sure is.”

“What if...we had to go on a quest to fetch something? An item of great value to commemorate his reign?”

  
“Like a treasure hunt.” El chirps with a sudden excitement. “A sceptre of a lost king or a sword?”

“Or maybe an ancient skull said to bless anyone who finds it a prosperous rule!”

Veronica interrupts them. “Riiiight!! While this is fun and all, I think we have more important things to do now that our royal visit has finished.” she glares at Erik as she spits the last part. He just rolls his eyes. “I’m. Starving! Can we eat?”   
  


And just like that, Veronica flips from angry to sad, giving El a puppy dog look complete with wide, teary eyes to really sell it. Erik has to stop himself from laughing. He’ll give her credit on it though, it’d definitely work on any stranger that didn’t know what a little monster she could be.

“Alright, alright.” El says. “Let’s go find a restaurant.”   
  
Veronica jumps up grinning ear to ear. “Yes!”

“I think I know a good place. It’s called Nimat.” Erik remembers it because it’s a name he’s frequently heard on the grapevine. ‘If you ever go to Gallopolis, go eat at Nimat,’ they’d all say.

“And what would be of interest there?” Veronica asks with a slight hiss, clearly still mad at him.

“Two things, actually. First, they serve the best cactus cutlet in the city. Second, they’re a bar.”

“You should’ve led with the last one!”

* * *

Erik said that it was a bar, not that they would buy her any alcohol. Luckily, Nimat did serve non-alcoholic cocktails which was a good enough compromise. It wasn’t as disappointing as finding out that until the cook got his hands on a golden globule, he refused to make anything with cactus cutlet. Actually, he proclaimed that the whole kitchen was ‘closed’ but it was clear the restaurant was still up and running, serving anything they could without it.

“Our apologies for the inconvenience.” The poor waiter said, bowing down with a furrowed brow. “However, we can still serve the dishes, just without the cactus cutlet. We can substitute it with a vegetable of your choice, however. We have a list prepared for you to choose from.”

“Well, this is nice. What’s the point of coming to try cactus cutlet if there isn’t any?” Veronica sighs.

“Our apologies.”

Erik isn’t too happy either having to be forced to eat more vegetables again, but it’s clear no one has a choice until the stubborn-headed cook got what he wanted.

“Veronica, how about this one?” Serena holds her menu, pointing to something in the Main Dish section.

“Spicy Galloptian eggs…” Veronica reads with an excited grin. “Stewed cactus cutlet and vegetables in tomato sauce. Served with over easy eggs, crumbled cheese, and toast! Hm, I guess this sounds good.”

“It’s one of our best sellers.” The waiter adds. “We can easily make it with zucchini and bell peppers instead of the cutlet.”

“Will that be alright with both of you?” El asks him and Veronica.

The girl shrugs. “As long as it’s spicy, I think I’ll be fine.”

“The spiciness will not be affected.” he promises them, getting a nod of approval from her.

“Had me at eggs, cheese, and bread.” Erik says. “I don’t mind spicy food.”

“How medium spice level then?” El suggests and everyone agrees. 

“But I’ll add a side order of chili.” Veronica demands, which is simple enough for the waiter.

“One spicy Galloptian eggs with extra chili on the side.” El then looks up curiously at him. “For the appetizer, what do you reccomend?”

“Our stuffed grape leaves are quite popular and we just received some fresh leaves from Gondolia. It’s made with couscous and goat cheese.”

Both girls suddenly raise their heads at him.

“Wait, you have that?”

“What a coincidence. We haven’t had that in months, Veronica. Let’s order that. Oh, and may we order a side of pita bread with it?”

“If we’re ordering bread, there’s a set here with kefta. We can share it.”

“Marvelous suggestion, El. So one stuffed grape leaves, pita bread, and kefta.”

“Understood.” The waiter says, somehow following their exchange as he quickly scrawls their orders on his notepad. 

“Excuse me, but what’s kanafeh?” Veronica asks, quickly glancing over to Serena, who suddenly squeals into her hands.

“It’s a dessert made with cheese and filo pastry-”

“We’ll have that!” Serena tells him. “And also add the baklava a la mode, kulfi, ice cre-”

“You remember that we’re on a budget, right?” Erik reminds her. Serena deflates.

“What? I have to pick a few?”   
  
“Preferably just one or two.”

Serena bites her thumb, looking conflicted as she looks upon the menu again. “That’s too few! Ugh, how do I choose…?”

“Take your time. We can order that last.” El says.

“Yes. I can choose what the previous dishes compliment best…”

“I’m just gonna order the beef tajine.” Erik chirps up. “With rice.”

“So one spicy Galloptian eggs with chili on the side, one stuffed grape leaves, one basket of pita bread with kefta, and one beef tajine. Your order will be ready in ten minutes.”

He bows his head and leaves.

Once he’s gone, Erik adjusts his seat, leaning over the table while looking between the twins. “So...what was that all about?”

“What was what?” Veronica grins cheekily, leaning in to meet his eye. “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

Erik rolls his eyes and gestures to a snickering Serena.

“Nothing much. Just that some of the dishes here are the same we have in Arboria.”

“Really? That’s...definitely coincidence.” Erik sit back against his chair. “Especially when Arboria is on the other side of the map.”

“It’s true! Stuffed grape olives and kanafeh, though in Arboria we called them dolma and kaitifi.”

“You’ll both love them, I’m sure. They’re both very delicious.”

“What kind of place is Arboria?” El decides to cut in and ask. “I’ve never heard of it before.”

Immediately, Serena’s whole demeanor shifts. Her posture straightens upright and her hands move together, gently clasping them together before she speaks. “It is a holy place far up in the Arborian mountains, located beneath Yggdrasil Herself. We live to serve Her, not just by offering prayers or meditating. We protect surviving scriptures and artifacts linked to Her and the Luminary of past, so as not only to aid any future Luminary against whatever darkness that may come to threaten the world again but to also pass down wisdom from it to future generations. In this way, we may avoid the mistakes of our ancestors and pave a better future for the world.” 

“They say Arboria was once part of Yggdrasil Herself, you know.” Veronica adds in, free of any of her usual snark and annoyance and instead being very calm and proper. It’s such a dramatic change that Erik shifts uncomfortably at the sight. “Before She took Her place up in the heavens, She was rooted in the First Forest. That’s why you can see Yggdrasil floating above the area and compared to any other place, the First Forest has the purest air, water, and vegetation.”

“For real?” Erik shakes his head, finding it a bit hard to believe. “Wait, if it’s so close to Yggdrasil, why don’t we just go there?”   
  


“Wha-!? Just go there!?” Veronica gasps offendedly. “It’s the First Forest! No one  _ just _ goes in. It’s a holy place; a sacred place! No one is allowed to enter without the Holy Father's permission.”

“And it is said that powerful monsters roam within it to keep trespassers away.” Serena solemnly adds, bowing her head.

“If we go in as we are now, we’d all die.” 

“Alright, alright, I get it! No going in.” Erik gruffs. “So much for a holy place.”

“Holy places can have deadly monsters.” Veronica spits. 

“I’m just saying, it sounds scary for something that’s supposed to be sacred and blessed.”

“You…!” Veronica grabs her wand and starts waving it again at Erik. “Curse! I curse you for your blasphemy!”   
  
“Wha-?! I thought you’re supposed-hey, quit messing with that thing indoors-!”

At this point, El and Serena quietly sit back. For better or worse, their squabbling was becoming more and more normal.

  
  


* * *

  
  


The stuffed grape leaves were as good as Serena promised. You wouldn’t expect a leaf stuffed with rice to have such a strong taste. The added goat cheese made it mellow, savory and bit nutty, and with a little squeeze of lemon juice, the whole dish became much lighter compared to the meaty kefta.

The kefta was simple; meat skewered on a stick. Yet, compared the usual Cobblestone barbecue El had grown up on, it was so soft and flavourful. El had to wonder how many different spices they used for this alone.

“Hey, slow down, Veronica. You’re eating way too fast.” Erik warned her.

Veronica stubbornly shook her head. She’s stuffing half a slice of pita with a hefty amount of grape leaves and kefta rolls, pulled out from the sticks. “Quit, nagging! I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“Don’t blame us if you’re getting a stomach ache.”

El ignored their antics, taking a spoon the cut into the meat. To his surprise, it actually slid through easily, like he was cutting through butter. “It’s so soft...”

“The secret is the lamb.” Serena giggles from across the table. “Even beef can’t compare.”

“It tastes so good!” Veronica muches down, looking at her. “It’s like being home again!”

“Yes.”

“Am I the only one who thinks it’s too much of a coincidence?” Erik says, genuinely unsure. “Similar name, cooking, and taste…”

Both girls shrug, though Serena seems to actually be thinking about it.

“Hm, though now that you say that,” she turns to Veronica. “Do you recall the travels of the Serenica?”

“Huh? Of course-Oh! You think this might be related to that?”   
  
“Related to what?” El asks.

Serena is the one who answers again. “Serenica, the holy sage who travelled the world with the first Luminary. In our history classes, it was noted that we know their journey took across all of Erdrea because of various surviving texts and relics related to them found all over Erdrea today. Like Drustan’s books on combat are being used in the Gallopolis and Heliodor. Perhaps it’s the same for Serenica? Beyond love stories, poems, and ballads, maybe she also left Arborian recipes across the land.”

“That’s one interesting possibility,” Veronica states, albeit looking doubtful. “but if that’s the case, shouldn’t we have seen more similar dishes in our travels? Why only similar Arborian dishes here? Not even Sniflheim shares our cuisine and they’re literally less than a day walk away.”

“Maybe they were originally from Gallopolis?” El suggests. “Most recipes I know were from places Chalky had visited in his youth. Perhaps it was the same in this case. This great sage made it to Gallopolis, learned these recipes, and was able to bring it back to Arboria.”

“I suppose.” Serena says. “Unfortunately, whether she returned to Arboria or not remains contentious even to this day. There’s no record of her ever returning to Arboria after she set off. Though that said, there’s almost no record left of  _ any _ of the heroes following the Dark One’s defeat except Sir Drustan. So your theory is possible.”

“Sir Drustan’s stories are a mess.” Veronica adds with some annoyance. “Legends about him persisted for far too long. Like, there’re stories of him saving towns from monsters centuries after his recorded death. There are even a few believers who think that all of the old heroes are still alive somewhere.”

El listens to Veronica’s words intently, genuinely surprised as he’d never known all this before. Beyond the Erdwin’s Lantern, he didn’t know the exact details of his predecessor's journey. There was never really any need for him to study the tale in depth until just a few weeks ago. Even then, most of the stories from the books he’d found up til now mostly said the same thing and only briefly summarized their exploits.

“If you ask me, I doubt this sage had anything to do with it. I’d put my money on the vikings.” Erik flatly states in a half mutter.

Veronica raises an eye at him.

“The vikings? Why them?”

He shrugs while drinking some water. “Even in the old days, the vikings served the Sniflheim royalty. While most of the time it was as mercenaries to replace their army, they would also be paid to handle the trading of expensive goods due to how dangerous the trade routes were. And from what I heard, even back then, Gallopolitian spices and textile were popular and expensive. I don’t doubt the vikings being able to sail as far out as Gondolia to buy the goods and ship them back. Maybe a couple of them learned a few recipes and brought it back, and then it caught on in Arboria for some reason. That or maybe some Viking that knew Arborian cooking or an Arborian was on board and brought it to Gallopolis.”

Serena looks pleasantly surprised at Erik’s story. “My, Erik. I didn’t realize you were so well-versed with Sniflheim history! I’m impressed.”

“Not Sniflheim…” Erik corrects though he mumbles the rest too quietly for her to hear.

“Again though, that wouldn’t explain why we don’t see more similar dishes in any other place, like between port towns or something. Wouldn’t those places have gained the same knowledge too?” Veronica plays a bit with her fork, poking at the plate.

“Hmm…” Erik quietly sips his water. “That, I don’t really know. I can say though, it’d make sense we can’t find anything like this in Sniflheim. None of the spices here would survive being grown there and I doubt they’d depend on spices that’d take months to transport.”

“Wouldn’t it also be the same in Arboria?” El asks, somewhat confused. “Since it’s near Sniflheim and in the mountains. It must be cold there too.”

Serena shakes her head at him. “Actually, it’s not. Despite our location, the winters are rarely ever frigid. We even enjoy summer and it still gets rather hot. Ah, not as much as here though.”

“Hate to say it, but Erik might be onto something with spices. We do grow these in Arboria.”

“Spicy Galloptian eggs and beef tajine.”

The waiter set down a steel pan filled with bubbling hot tomato sauce. Three coddled white eggs sat on top, covered with small crumbs of white cheese and basil leaves. A basket of toasted bread, sprinkled with a bit of chopped parsley for color, was laid beside it.

Meanwhile, the tajine was served in a shallow earthen dish with a conical lid. There was a small bit of fragrant steam coming out from the sides. It was a complex aroma of sweet and spicy notes. When the waiter lifted the lid, the fragrance bursts on their table. It left El’s nose tingling. Beef chunks sat at the centre of the plate, surrounded by a colorful couscous that had persimmon seeds, peanuts, and purple leek, and mint mixed in.

The waiter bows quietly and leaves.

They’re all about to happily dig in but El suddenly stops them.

“Wait,” he says, much to their confusion. He takes the serving spoon by the steel pan and points at the eggs in the tomato sauce. “Should I break all the eggs yolks or do any of you want it whole?”

“That’s your question?” Veronica huffs.“Break it-”

“I’ll have it whole-”

Veronica and Erik immediately stare at each other, both looking horribly offended at what the other just said.

“I also prefer my eggs broken, if you would so kindly.” Serena tells El.

He nods back. “Give me your plate, Erik. I’ll give you one of the yolks.”

“No fair! You can’t have one all to yourself.” Veronica pouts at him, to which Erik just grins.

“Quit complaining. You’re technically getting two anyway.”

“That I’m sharing!”

El is careful to spoon Erik only a whole yolk without breaking it. It jiggles like pudding on the spoon, proof that the eggs were cooked to a wonderful delicateness perfect for the saucy dish. Even the whites are soft and silky, blending nicely with the tomato and cheese when El finally mixes it for them.

“How much do you want, Veronica?”

“Give me a lot! At least one of you knows how to be a gentleman.” She glares at Erik.

“I’ll start acting once you start being a proper lady.”

“I am a proper lady.”

“Serena is a proper lady. You throw sand into monsters’ eyes and laugh at them.”

“Because they deserve it. And you laughed too!”

“We all did.” El adds with a small chuckle. “Especially when that one ran into a wall and knocked itself out.”

“Ooh, remember the one that fell on a cactus?” Serena asked and there’s burst of snickers between them.

“Okay, okay. That one was funny.” Erik admits.

El opens his hand towards Serena, gesturing a ‘gimme’ sign. After a brief moment of confusion, Serena understands and hands him her plate.

“Just a little. And two slices of toast, please.”

It’s not much, so El guesses that she wants to make sure her stomach has enough room for dessert. Serena grabs a little from the tajine too, with only a scoop of couscous and a few, small cuts of beef.

“You don’t want more?” Erik asks her.

“No. This much is fine. Besides, I’m not particularly fond of meat.”

“I’ll have some.” Veronica gives Erik her plate. He sighs but still gives her a sizable share, making sure to give her enough.

“At least you have an appetite.”

“Huh?! What’s that supposed to mean?”

Erik laughs at her threat. “You’re gonna need to eat a lot to grow taller anyway.”

“But not too much at once.” El quickly reminds them.

It earns a light and amused scoff from Veronica.

“Just you both watch. I’ll be taller than both of you in no time.”

“Good attitude, pipsqueek.” 

“If you both want to eat better, we can order more vegetables.” Serena jokingly offers, and is met with an instant ‘No.’ by both.

El finds their fuzziness a shame. Especially Erik, with the few spoons of couscous on his plate compared to the heaps of meat cuts. The former looks so pretty and refreshing with all nuts and vegetables added in. The slight kick from the purple leek and sourness from persimmon seeds helped to cut the beef’s heaviness while the peanuts add an extra crunchy texture that stood out when every other ingredient was cooked until it was soft and easy to eat.

Speaking of soft, the stewed beef was also very tender, having clearly been for a long time. The spices helped to make it rich and flavorful. Without the prunes mixed in or the couscous to balance against it, it would have been overpowering.

It was a stark contrast to the humble, comforting taste of the spicy eggs.

All this fancy food was nice but this kind of simplicity made El smile nostalgically. He spread the tomato sauce on his toast, which had been cut thinly and baked with a bit of garlic butter and chopped parsley. Such a small thing, yet it added another level of savoriness that El was sure he could never replicate. And despite it having a medium spice level, it still packed a punch that left his nose clearing. Only the light sweetness of the other vegetables, the silky mellowness of the eggs, and finally the creamy goat cheese balanced it out. The end result is a very warm, very charming flavour. It reminds El of his mum’s tomato stew—when he would eat it for morning breakfast with her before the sunrise.

“It’s much nicer with the chili.” Veronica mumbles with a slice of bread stuck halfway in her mouth. She holds the small plate of bright peppers up for everyone. “You sure none of you want to try?”

“I’ll try.” El reaches out to take it from her while Erik just looks aghast at him.

“You’re crazy too…!”

“Hmph! More for me then.”   
  


* * *

“Kanafeh.”

Their dessert finally arrived and Serena claps excitedly like a schoolgirl on summer break.

El though… He’s never seen anything quite like this. It had a pancake-like appearance, covered in what resembled very thin threads of deep fried noodles and was garnished with chopped pistachio nuts on top. The only trait about it that let El know that it was something sweet was its strong fragrance; like honey with hints from the pistachio.

Serena giddily turned to El and then Erik.“Ooh, you’ll both love this! You two should have the first slice!”

“I’ll cut it between the four of us.” Veronica grabbed the serving knife and, with some difficulty even as she stood up on her chair, started dividing it. When she finally pulled one slice up, both boys were surprised to see the strands of gooey cheese appear.

“What the heck? It’s like looking at a pizza.”

“Because it’s made from cheese, remember?” Veronica reminds Erik, though she still hands the slice to him anyway.

Erik gives it a skeptical stare, pushing his fork through it with surprising ease.

“Never had a dessert with cheese before.” He comments, taking a small bit to try. Then his eyes light up. “It’s...pretty sweet. Huh.”

“Well, duh. It’s a dessert.”

El hums. “This is interesting. And these noodle things are…feelo pastry, right Serena?”

Slightly butchered pronunciation aside, Serena claps her hands and nods, practically bouncing on her seat now from seeing their interest. “They’re also used to make baklava and pies. But for this, you have to slice it into thin strips, giving it an excellent contrast of crispiness. The pistachios add a nice crunch too, but their fragrance is what helps the kanafeh stand-”

Veronica groans from her seat, tapping table boredly. “I’ve heard this too many times already. Serena won’t stop once she’s like this so just keep eating.”

“-for the syrup, they make sure to add it during the last stage of cooking after grilling the filo pastry, allowing it to seep into the dough and the cheese and caramelize-”

Serena would go on for the next ten minutes explaining the step by step method of the best way to make kanafeh/kataifi and something called rose water.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Ah, that was good.” Veronica stretches sleepily in her chair, full and content, to the point where she almost doesn’t want to move. 

El raises his hand for the waiter to ask for the remaining leftovers to be wrapped up. The clock on the wall continues to tick, with its smaller hand sitting idly near the number ‘6.’ The sky was a bright crimson now.

Noticing this, El says to his friends, “Seems like we still have some time left before our meeting. Why don’t we go walk around while we still can and meet up at the circus in an hour?” 

“Oh, I saw this lovely outfit at the shop!” 

“Sure.” Veronica muses, lazily nodding along. “I need to walk this food off.”

“You’re a literal piglet.” Erik jokingly teases. 

“You...Actually, I’m too stuffed to talk back right now. Count yourself lucky.” 

“Come on, Veronica. I also saw the cutest outfit for you.”

Veronica sighs, pushing herself off the tall chair to follow Serena while El remains to pay.

“Is there anywhere you’re interested in going?” El asks Erik. Since they’re alone, they might as well engage in some small talk. 

“Maybe the weapon’s shop.” Erik shrugs, fiddling with his fork. “Seeing as this is the home to the desert knights, their weapons have to be top-notched in quality. You?”

El’s eyes gleam immediately. “The textile stalls.”

Erik nods towards him, chuckling to himself. “Alright. Then let’s head there first.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took long!!! Procrastination and research are jerks. Speaking of which, I'm sorry in advance I got some info wrong for the cuisines. Point it out, mun.
> 
> From what I've found out while writing this, African cuisine (Gallopolis) and Greek cuisine (Arboria) have a lot in common, which in hindsight, I should've realized because Greece and several North African countries border the Mediterranean Sea. So it's natural that there're a lot similar dishes, with some sharing similar names.
> 
> But all that pales to the cactus research. The cactus threw a wrench in things...
> 
> Halfway through writing, I replayed the game for reference and the restaurant in question used cactus cutlet. In Dragon Quest Builders 2, these were drops from regular cacti plant. In DQXI though...it might be the same item but dropped from cactus monsters? So I had to redo the recipe with cactus. In this case specifically, nopales, a cactus plant commonly used in Mexican cooking, was used. It requires different preparations because it's similar to the okra in that it can get slimy unless you prep it a certain way. Taste-wise, similar to bell peppers.
> 
> BTW, there's a LOT of recipes for shakshuka on YouTube. One by Chef John on Food Wishes and another by Gordon Ramsey himself! Me and mom were able to make shakshuka with eggplants and zucchini so feel free try what you like. I personally prefer bell peppers.
> 
> Also, there is an Italian dish called Tuscan baked eggs. It's diced veggies baked with tomato and eggs and served with bread. Sound familiar?


	8. Puff-Puff (Gallopolis Pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Puff-Puff](http://www.sisiyemmie.com/2016/12/how-to-make-round-puff-puff-without.html)  
A deep fried snack that was once popularly served in the Galloptian streets. *NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR THE OTHER PUFF-PUFF
> 
> 3 ½ cups of flour  
½ cup of sugar (or more to taste)  
2 ¼ tsp yeast  
¾ tsp nutmeg  
2 cups of warm water  
A pinch of salt
> 
> First, mix the yeast in a bowl with the warm water, sugar, and salt. Cover it with a towel and leave it to proof for five to ten minutes. Once it’s ready, mix the flour in until there are no lumps left. Cover it with a towel again and leave it to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until it’s doubled in size.
> 
> Heat some oil in a pan on a medium flame. Scoop up the dough with your hands or a spoon and drop ball-shaped dough into the oil. Deep fry them until golden brown.
> 
> *Can be eaten savory with meat dishes or as is. If you want it sweet, sprinkle powdered sugar on top of it.

* * *

There were so many different fabrics! 

A lot were the usuals ones that El was used to seeing back home like cotton and silk, but a few were unique to Gallopolis that he’d never seen before. Shweshwe, for example, was a thick, sturdy, yet somehow soft fabric that was popular. Which was surprising as El had expected light fabric to be more popular. Then there was kanga, which was higher quality but also versatile, capable of being used for both clothing and furniture.

Right now, in his hands, was probably the most extraordinary fabric yet; bogolanfini, or mudcloth, a cotton fabric dyed with mud of all things. Of course, the process involved was more complicated than that. It is first dyed in a bath of leaves and then dried. It's then painted on with fermented mud, which results in a chemical reaction between the mud and the cloth that makes the color of the mud stay. Once it's dried again, the excess mud is washed off, after which the initial dye from the leaf bath is washed or bleached off into a white color. Contrary to El's expectations, it came in a variety of other colors like blue, black, and red.

It was fascinating to hear the old lady explain it and thankfully she was happy to sell five handkerchiefs for a small price of five hundred gold.

El quickly pinned it into his book, which was getting thicker at a faster pace than he’d expected.

At this rate, he might have to buy a new one.

The sky is getting darker. Thankfully, the fabric store was right in front of the weapons shop and armory. Erik was still inside looking for daggers while the girls were checking out clothes to buy. It’s strange that an armory was also doubling as a clothing store but El supposed that it’s good for any business to have variety in their stocks. 

There was a bit of time left. Since Veronica mentioned the horse tracks-

“Oh me, oh my! Just look at you!”

Barely in time, El stops his movement when a woman jumps in front of him. Her attire is the same Roxy’s, a yellow dancer’s uniform, making him wonder if she’s a dancer too.

“What a handsome fellow you are!” she strides closer to him. “I wish to give you the priceless gift of puff-puff! Will you permit me?”

El blinks, tilting his head sideways to observe her. There’s nothing suspicious about her or anything that gives El an indication that she’s hiding something.

“As in free?”

The lady giggles playfully and nods her head, stepping closer into his personal space.

Was she a saleswoman? Giving away free samples of—what did she just call it…? Puff-puff. It’s a cute sounding name and El sees no reason to turn down a free item.

So he nods, much to the woman’s relief.

“Ohh, I am so happy to hear you say this! Come then, follow me!” She turns around, motioning for him to follow her into the house between the weapons shop and armory. Wait, was she the owner of both establishments? “Hee hee!”

To his surprise, the interior is relatively dark. The lighting reminds El of late afternoons when the sun was almost completely set; almost maroon-tint.

When El turns around the corner of the narrow hallway, he sees her waiting by the stairs.

“Come now, will you follow me to the private chamber?”

El nods, for which she gives him a quick wink. “Wonderful! Then follow me! Hee hee!”

He does, quietly going up the dark stairs until they arrive at another hall where there’s...a bed? A single bed is facing them, positioned in front of a wall with two windows on both sides.

The woman directs him to it? “Now, just sit right here on the bed…”

El sinks down unto it, admittedly feeling a little nervous but mostly confused by the whole situation. Like, why did she have a bed in such a strange location in her home? Not that El was judging but...this certainly wasn’t what he was expecting just to receive a free item.

She giggles, “That’s it, my sweet…” while pushing his body down further. The wool blanket is soft and warm. A bit rough to the skin when he rubs his hands against it.

The woman leaves, heading to the right door. She turns with a finger resting on her lips. “Is it alright with you if I turn off the lights, yes?”

El’s confusion grows because...why? It’s almost evening. Without it, the room would likely be near pitch dark. Why would she need the room to be dark?

Just as his mind wanders to a worst case scenario, he observes the lady once more, desperate to find  _ something. _ But she’s still relatively relaxed. A bit more visibly nervous, yes, but with how her hands only tense whenever he shifts, El can more or less tell that it's only in reaction to his own growing anxiety, leading him to deduce that she’s noticed his suspicions and is just trying to ease him.

Normally, that action in itself would also be suspicious, but the woman isn’t showing anything else. There’s no intensity in her gaze towards him to read his movements any deeper nor is her stance on edge, waiting and ready to act. Her posture, her body language, her eyes…

El takes the risk and nods.

The lady’s shoulders slacken. “Hee hee. Don’t worry, my sweet. I’ll be back soon.”

As he expected after the click, the room is immediately shrouded in a veil of near darkness. Only the light from the windows prevents pitch darkness but the sudden change makes his nerves stand on end while he waits for his eyes to adjust. Not being able to see as well, not knowing what’s going on, only able to stand and wait  _ before the king yells for him to be tossed into the dungeons. Is this like a dungeon already? _

The door creaks loudly, like chalk scratching on a board, and it makes him jump.

“‘Ello, there!”

From across him, a large burly man emerges, wearing an apron that he wears with his chest out in full pride despite his large, toned muscles overshadowing it. He makes a noise of surprise coming closer to check him from head to toe like Prince Faris had.

El can’t help looking away, clenching his vest just a bit.

“Lemme see yer hands there.” He holds his hands open to him. Not wanting to be rude, El gives him both and he watches the man inspect them thoroughly, pressing his palms and bending his fingers back and forth. “I see. So you’re not only a seasoned fighter, but also a blacksmith and seamstress! No wonder me beautiful daughter picked ye! HUR HUR!”

“Wait, you managed to tell all that from my hand?”

The man guffaws heartily and slaps his shoulders so hard it jolts El’s senses awake. “There’s no questions ‘bout it! I deem ya fit to learn the ancient Galloptian recipe, long-lost to the passage of time!” He nods dramatically at him. “Puff-puff!”

* * *

Weapons lined the walls, showcasing the owner’s inventory of lances, axes, and swords. He even had a canon, not that it would actually be helpful.

“This here might interest ya.” The buff shopkeeper held out a strangely-designed purple knife for Erik to see. The handle was bigger than the blade end, with two guards surrounding the hilt like a square.

“It’s called a Poison Moth Knife. Made with coagulant to paralyze any foe.”

Hence the jagged edges, purposely designed to cause as much deep wounding as possible to allow the poison a better chance of penetration into the body. Against the light, Erik could even see a yellowish tint reflect from the lining of those same edges.

He shrugged, giving it back. “Got anything bigger?”

“Anythin’ bigger ‘h says. How ‘bout this rapier? A sword but it’s light and flexible.”

Erik took it in hand, humming while feeling the thin, smooth edge and testing the weight. “It’s good. How much?”

“950 gold.”

“950?” Erik quickly set it down. “That’s way too much! 650.”

“850.”

“700.”

“750.” The shop owner said finality, crossing arms stubbornly.

Erik groaned, shaking his head hard. “You know what? I’ll just take the knife. But 700 gold is as high as I go.”

He couldn’t see his expression beneath his hood but from his grunt, he could tell he was miffed but somewhat more calmed. “750. My final offer.”

Erik huffs and grumbles, “Fine.” 

He half-slams down the gold on the counter. While he’s sure the shopkeeper has gotten the hint, Erik keeps his annoyed expression, watching the burly man carefully as he takes the knives from their boxes. Erik takes them with a curt thank you and quickly leaves, making sure to quietly mutter small curses all the way until he’s finally outside amongst a bustling crowd. It’s only then he finally relaxes.

Meanwhile, the twins are still in the armory, still shopping for clothes. Erik isn’t really sure if he wants to get involved but Veronica makes the choice for him when she turns around and spots him.

“Erik!” Veronica is already walking his way. “You done?”   
  


“Yeah. A good chunk of the weapons were overpriced, though.”

“Tell me about it.” Veronica huffs. “If we buy the armors in there, we won’t have enough to stay at the inn.”   
  
“If that’s the only issue, we can rough it for tonight.”

Veronica scowls at his suggestion. “You want to stay in the desert after trekking all the way here under the hot sun?”

“Is there a problem?” Erik asks smugly.

“Yes!” Veronica looks like she wants to tear his hair out. “I’m all sticky, sweaty, and gross. I want to take a shower, wash all the sand off my feet, and sleep in a nice bed, thank you! Aren’t you bothered by it at all?”

Erik was. He’d love a nice shower too to cool off from Gallopolis’ unrelenting heat, but  _ want _ isn’t the same as  _ need _ . Reality is, they can all afford to miss one day of showering. Their armour and weapons that  _ keep _ them alive though? After their three close calls today, Erik can confidently say that restocking on better supplies was greater priority. Never know when they’ll encounter strong monsters again.

Also, admittedly, Erik just found no problem with camping. He’d long grown accustomed to living outdoors that even after a hard day, a sleeping bag was nice. Not that a bed or shower wasn’t appreciated, but a sleeping bag was better than nothing.

Serena soon joins them with a disappointed huff.

“Hello. It seems you’re done as well, Erik?”

“Yeah. You didn’t get anything either?”

“Yes.” Her shoulders slump. “The outfit I wanted was a thousand-three hundred gold.”

Erik chokes. That was way too pricey!!

“Let’s go look around then,” he suggests. “I’ll go let El know we’re gonna be off somewhere.”

Erik steps outside immediately to him. Thankfully all the textile stores were close by so El couldn’t be too far away. Erik gives the street a quick scan and...he can’t find him.

He’s gone.

Erik tries to stay calm while he walks through the crowd, double checking wherever he looked and even ducking to the other side of the road for a moment to see if El had wandered off there. When Erik fails to see him  _ anywhere _ , the encroaching panic finally sets in.

“Did you find him?” Serena asks him upon returning but the sudden concern on both hers and Veronica’s faces are enough to tell Erik that they’re aware something is up.

“No. Can’t find him.”

The only reason Erik wasn’t completely losing it is his own seasoned rationality. El wasn’t exactly helpless so if anything  _ did _ happen, there would’ve definitely been a commotion. There wasn’t so they can safely assume El wandered off somewhere. Unless someone quietly knocked him but then they’d need to drag him around public which is difficult...unless they did the old drunkard fake bit-

“Let’s ask the stall lady.” Erik refocuses on a doable task before his anxiety could get the better of him. Just standing around and worrying wouldn’t do any good. 

“Excuse me, ma’am!” Veronica says, getting the old woman’s attention. The moment she turns around, Veronica puts on the fakest innocent smile Erik has ever seen. “We’re looking for a friend. He’s got brown hair, is wearing a long purple tunic, and is about,” She tiptoes with her staff raised until the orb is almost just above Erik’s forehead. “this tall. Have you seen him?”

Her eyes light up with recognition. “Oh, I know the lad. So polite.” She fondly answers. “He left just a while ago. A shame though. Here I thought he’d be more respectable than most of the other fellows in this town.”

“What do you mean by that?” Erik asks.

“He up and left to follow that puff-puff girl’s offer.” The old woman points towards the house nearby. “Not that I can blame him. She’s quite the looker. Ah, that brings me back to the days of my youth. The string of broken hearts I’d leave behind.” She brags heartily.

Erik, Serena, and Veronica just stare at each other because...El followed a puff-puff girl?

“That doesn’t sound like him.” Erik ponders. El is probably the most polite and innocent person he’s ever met his whole life. Not once did he ever express interest in  _ that _ . Of course, no one in their right mind would express that kind of thing to someone they’ve only known for just a few months, so El keeping it a secret would be natural.

Suddenly, Erik isn’t sure what to think about El.

They all hold their suspicions until they talk with the puff-puff girl but she immediately corroborates the old woman’s story.

“Hee hee. Yes, he came with me. He took the offer quite readily.” She giggles. “Don’t worry. He and my father should be done soon.”

“You’re...father?” Erik asks for clarification and she proudly nods.

“My father is the greatest practitioner of the puff-puff in all the lands of the world! As we speak, he should be finishing up passing his lessons unto your friend.”

“L-L-Lessons?” Veronica flabbergasts. She is completely and utterly red and for good reason because Erik has to cut his own imagination short just to not implode from embarrassment.

Serena, on the other hand, is grinning despite the veins bulging in her temple.

“And...El was okay with it?” Erik needs to know at least that much. The girl nods.

“Yes. He was quite keen to receive the gift of puff-puff knowledge.”

“He wanted it?”

“Again, yes. I have never encountered a more eager learner.”

It feels like a rug had been pulled from under Erik’s feet. He doesn’t even know why El’s–well–private life is coming as a shock. If he swung that way and liked older men, that was fine. Absolutely, perfectly fine. Erik shouldn’t be caring  _ this  _ much.

Veronica is still huffing from subdued annoyance but she’s taking it as well as Serena. Which is somewhere along the lines embarrassed, annoyed, and disappointed.

“Why don’t you all wait here? Once they’re finished, I will go get your friend.”

* * *

“Sorry ‘bout the lighting, mate. Somethin’s been up with the power these last few days. Turn on too many appliances the breaker gives out.” The burly man annoyedly explains whilst politely taking El’s bag off his person to hang them on the coat rack of his quaint kitchen. It’s nothing too fancy with a simple wood-burning stove towards the right side of the room. To its left was a counter, kept relatively clean aside from a bowl with a towel draped over it. It was set near a lamp. A spice rack shelf had been built above it while a bookcase, filled to the brim with bags of flour and earthen pots, stood at the left end. The window-side was where the dining table–a round table with a white lace tablecloth and a cute potted cactus on top–sat, with only two chairs sitting opposite of each other. Near the door was the coat hanger and the sink.

Speaking of the latter, the man was now pointing at it. “Be sure to wash yer hands first. Germs are the greatest enemy in a kitchen. I take it ye’ve been running around this entire time, yeah?”

El bashfully nods when he gestures to his dirtied tunic, which he quickly removes despite the clear jovialness in the man’s tone.

“Ah, brings me back to the good ol’ days. But it’s good that there’re still youngsters yer age going about and travelin’ the world. There’re always things out there yer best experiencing first hand.”

El looks at him curiously. “Did you travel?”

The burly man laughs loudly and proudly. He smacks his bare chest with his fist. “To every end of Erdrea. I was lucky to see every lay of the land from the forests of Heliodor to the snowy peaks of Snifleheim.”

El perks up immediately, remembering that naming having been mentioned so many times. He closes the tap and dries his hands on the nearby towel. “What’s Snifleheim like?”

The man stiffens uncomfortably. “Cold. Like nowhere else in this continent. Like, imagine Heliodor but–wait, have ye been there?”

It takes a moment’s hesitation before El decides to nod, figuring with the kingdom’s general popularity and large populace, just admitting that much shouldn’t be dangerous.

“Well, imagine the winter there but jacked up to ten with regular blizzards every few times a year.”

It only snows a little in Cobblestone. Around two inches, only up to his heels, was the most snowfall El could remember growing up, which wasn’t even enough for a snowball fight or snow angel or any winter activity he’s heard so much about from Chalky. Thus, it was hard to see why everyone thought it was something fun. It wasn’t even pretty, being anything but pure white when it got stomped on with the soil to make a sloshy mud that would cling to El’s boots while he worked.

This was the case until a sudden heavy snowfall hit Cobblestone when he was thirteen. It lasted for a week and El will not deny, it was pretty for the first few days. A beautiful blanket of actual white snow covering the landscape, actually crunching beneath him when he walked while being so soft that it resembled fluffy feathers. Then it kept going until a fair amount of their crops and animals died, slowly accumulating on their wooden roofs that they had to regularly clean daily or it would collapse the ceiling. When the snow finally melted, it froze into ice that everyone constantly slipped on.

El didn’t even want to imagine something worse than  _ that on a _ regular basis.

“That said,” the man says softly, looking out the window nostalgically with a deep and satisfied breath. “ya won’t find a place more beautiful. Nowhere else in Erdrea can see the night sky more clearly with its stars and moon. Ahh, and the northern lights? Seeing the colors dance between green to violet, orange, blue… Osh, just remembering takes my breath away.”

“Northern lights?”

“Lights in the sky. They only appear up north and are among the most beautiful things in this world. When you’re there, ya gotta see it.”

His words are hard to imagine but it’s also filled with genuine fondness and excitement. El considers his offer and nods.

The man claps his hands, “Oh, we’ve gone off topic! I gotta teach ya how to make puff-puff already!” and quickly rushes behind to grab two aprons, tossing one at El.

He rolls up his long-sleeves again and puts the grey fabric on. 

“And tie up yer hair too while yer at it.”

El blinks. “...I don’t have a tie.”

“Ya don’t? Wait here for a minute.” The man walks towards the door and leaves, closing the door where El awkwardly stands alone. When he finally returns, he’s holding a yellow ribbon.

“Alright, lad. Turn around and let me tie your hair up.”

El flushes but turns around anyway, flinching when he feels the muscled hands gently smoothing through his hair. It was like playing with Gemma again. That is, helping her out after she’s finished making some hair accessories and needs a guinea pig to try them on. They would both take turns to do each other’s hairs while trying the accessories on. Gemma did eventually outgrow it, however, so it’s been almost forever since he’s let someone else do his hair. The fact that it's a stranger, though, does make it embarrassing.

“Aight, I’m done! Now ya look proper.” He nods proudly, not that El has any way of seeing what he’s done without a mirror. “Now let’s go make those puff-puffs! Get the flour, sugar, nutmeg, and yeast from the shelves.”

He points to the bookcase and El nods, grabbing the items which were, thankfully, labelled accordingly and brought them over to the counter.

“Now, listen proper. puff-puff is simplicity at its finest. It don’t need too many ingredients, but instead relies on the ingredients’ quality and the cook’s skill. Doing it right is more important than fancy.” He brings a metal bowl in front of El with some measuring cups and spoons inside. “Now, first, start with proofing the yeast. D’ya know how to do it?”

El beams at the easy question.

“You mix the yeast with water and sugar and then leave it for a couple of minutes.”

“Correct!” The man flexes his arms to resemble a circle. “We do it for a lot of reasons, but one of the most important is to make sure the yeast is actually alive and usable. If the yeast is good, it’ll come out with a nice, foamy top. If it’s gone bad, then it’ll just look like murky water. Now, get to proofing!”

El does so. He heats some water in a kettle for a little while until it’s warm. About two cups’ worth is poured into a bowl and mixed with the yeast and sugar. Once it’s properly combined, El covers it with a towel and sets it aside.

“Next is the flour. How do you measure it?”

Another easy one. “With a measuring spoon. Or cup, in this case.”

“Show me.”

El opens the bag, but as soon as he fills the cup with flour, the man calmly raises his hand. “Stop. That’s the wrong way. If you just do it like that, the flour will be packed in and the weight will end up heavier than what’s been instructed. Then your puff-puffs will come out dry and tough.”

Then he points to one of the measuring spoons nearby. “A good way to avoid that is to use a spoon to fluff the flour first. That way, you break any flour that’s already been packed in as a result from being inside too long. Then you spoon the flour into the measuring cup. If you don’t believe me, you can weigh the cups yourself to see the difference.”

Now this information is new, and at once El realizes why all the cookies he’s ever baked in his youth came out like rocks despite doing everything right. El quietly internalizes his advice and quickly dumps the flour back inside.

“Fun fact! Brown sugar is measured the opposite way. The molasses makes it sticky, causing air pockets in it that mess with the measurements. That’s why you’ll notice that when bakers measure brown sugar, they go outta their way to press it down into the measuring cup. Gotta push out those air pockets.”

When El opened the nutmeg jar, a powerful, spicy fragrance whipped into the air, all coming from the large, dried seeds inside. The man repeated it three times while handing him a grate: Use fresh nutmeg. It’s better than ground pre-ground any day. El can’t say he would know because this wasn’t common in Heliodor. Spices like these were rare and expensive. 

“Ya don’t need too much. Good as it is, too much will poison you.”

“...I’m sorry, what?”

“I said add too much and it’ll poison you. So add just a smidge. About a teaspoon should do it.”

El follows his instructions carefully, grating in only a little. Once he’s finished, he puts everything away and proceeds to mix the dry ingredients by hand–something the man insisted on. Then El pours it into the bowl with the now foamy yeast mixture to mix it for the final time. It slowly transforms into a thick, sticky batter-like dough that almost reminds El of pizza dough.

He frowns at it. “Is it supposed to look like this? Isn’t it too little?” El asks because the man said that this would be good for four people but it only filled less than half the bowl.

“Give it some time, lad. In about an hour or two, it’ll have risen to twice this size.”

“Wait, an hour?” El turns to him quickly. “I can’t wait an hour. I have somewhere to go soon.”

“Don’t get yer trousers in a twist yet. Luckily for you, I got a ready batch here.” He takes the bowl near the lamp and removes the towel on it. Compared to his, the dough inside had risen almost all the way to the brim, just barely touching the edge.

The man points at his dough. “This is about how much you can get from this batch alone. That’s why as much as possible, you need to use a bigger bowl to give it room when it rises. And it goes without saying, make sure it’s somewhere warm. Near a lamp or sunny window, or you can leave it in a warm oven if you have it. Just cover that bowl up and leave it. I can cook it later.”

He hands El a fresh towel. Following his instructions, El covers the bowl and sets it under the same lamp. 

“Right. Now what’s next?”

While El leaves to wash his hands in the sink, the man responds by taking out a cast iron pan and a jar of oil. “The fun part! Deep frying!!” He’s already pouring the oil in from excitement. “Ones with neutral aromas are the best to use for this. Have ye deep fried anything before?”

“A few times.” El answers but withholds his dislike for it. It takes so much oil to cook something and the mess made afterwards is hard to clean up. It’s never been fun for him.

“Aight, then while we wait for the oil to heat up, I’ll teach you how to drop the puff-puff.” The man fills a small bowl with water and sets it on the counter. He dabs his hands wet before scooping up the sticky white dough in his large hand. “Now, ye gotta hold yer hand upside down–imagine like yer holding a piping bag in your hands–and then squeeze like so.”

El watches him make a fist over the dough. He clenches carefully, refraining from forming a fist but instead lets dough slowly slide through the hole he’s made with his hand. When it reaches a round size, he moves his thumb up to separate it, letting completely drop back into the bowl.

“Just like this. You got it?”

The way he did it looks easy enough, so El nods with a fair amount of confidence.

“Good. Give it a shot, why don’t ya? Ya want to aim for dropping a tablespoonful at a time.”

He moves out of the way to give El some room. El follows his movements as best he can but it feels a little weird using just his hands.

“That looks a little much. If it’s too heavy, the oil might splash.” The man advises upon seeing his first drop. El adjusts easily and at the second drop, he sees him nod with a small sense of pride.

“Good, good, lad! Keep going just like that!”

El picks up the pace, quickly falling into a nice rhythm of scooping and dropping dough. It’s...surprisingly addictive.

“Aight, oil’s ready!”

El slides the bowl closer to the pan. Little bubbles were already forming along the surface and it was crackling quietly. This was the part El hated the most. Oil splashing had become bearable now but he still didn’t like how it could happen without warning. Especially if what he was frying had even a  _ little _ moisture inside, it would start popping like firecrackers.

“Don’t be afraid, boy.” The man’s words startles El.

“The oil ain’t that hot. Just drop in gently. Lemme show you.” The man dabs his hands in the water again and takes a bit of dough. He does the process again, but this time hovering his hand about seven inches away from the oil. As the dough drops, he pulls his hand upwards, letting the dough almost slide into the oil with grace. No splashing whatsoever occurs as dough remains still, floating in the with a perfectly round shape. It reminds El of a ball floating in water.

“See? When you deep fry, you can’t be scared and shirk away from the oil. You have to do it swifty and carefully. Keep your hand close enough to oil to minimize splashing but not so close you’ll get burned.”

El watches the man perform the action again and again until the cast iron’s surface is almost completely covered in puff-puff. He takes a wire ladle and stirs them around, turning the balls over so each side cooks evenly. After a few minutes doing this, he transfers them into a rack to drain any excess oil.

“Alright, did you get it? Ready to give it a go?”

“I think so.” Seeing him do it easily made El feel more confident about it. He goes through the steps, wetting his hands first before taking the dough. The oil is still hot and putting his hand close to it hurts, but he tries to imagine it as a furnace instead. The principle is the same, work swiftly and carefully. With that, he simply does it.

There is a small bit of splash the first time-

“A little bit high there. You’re doing good!”

-so El tries again a bit closer. Nothing happens–he hears the man behind commend him, “Good, good! The shape’s beautiful!”–and repeats it again and again, until in a blink, the pan is almost full.

“That’s enough. Don’t wanna overcrowd it now.”

El takes the strainer in his one clean hand. He stirs for a bit, mostly to check and see if they browned enough underneath and turned them occasionally so nothing would overcook. El uses the color of the man’s puff-puffs as reference, with patches of golden yellow and crispy brown. Once the dough gets to that color, he transfers them to an empty rack.

“Ya did it! These turned out beautifully!” The man slaps his back hard in congratulations.

It almost knocks the wind out of him but El grateful anyway, mostly just relieved nothing burned. He hangs the apron to wash his hands, observing quietly while the man grabs a jar.

“Ya want any powdered sugar on yours?”

El answers at once, “Yes, please.”

The puff-puffs look adorable in their baskets, divided into where one was served plain while the other had a pretty dust of sugar. Served with it were various spreads. A bowl of stewed beans, another bowl with red paste, a jar of strawberry jam, another jay with creamy, melted chocolate, and one last one with condensed milk.

“This is a lot…”

“Well, this yer first puff-puff, right?” The man rests his hands on his hips. “Yer first time making it and first time eating it! You should enjoy it. Try whichever combo you like. Or eat it as is.”

El quickly sits down and takes a plain one. It’s only natural to start with the most basic and El takes his time, feeling how soft it is when he pulls it apart.

“So how is it?” The man pulls up the seat at the other side, watching El for a reaction.

“It’s like a donut.” El answers. “It’s chewy and light, and the exterior is crispy.”

“Why don’t you try the savory stuff first. The beans are a staple breakfast here and pepper sauce is a popular condiment.”

“Pepper sauce?” El points to the red paste. “This one?”   
  
“Yep! Made em fresh me self with habanero peppers.”

El takes his suggestion, and anyway, it feels weird to eat something sweet before something spicy.

To his surprise, the taste was strong. The beans are homely, spicy, and flavourful, as is the red pepper sauce except spicier and hotter. So much that El chokes and coughs when he accidentally breathes the fragrance in. He can see now why the puff-puffs were made with minimal flavourings. Its simplicity mellowed the other sides out.

“It’s good.” El hums. “Um, do you have any water?”

“Och, where’s me manners?” He slaps his mask. “Lemme get ye some.”

While he did, El moved on to the sweets and he  **loved** it. The powdered sugar melts with the dough the moment it hits his tongue. Paired with any of the others; the sour strawberry jam, the bittersweet chocolate, or the incredibly creamy condensed milk, it was perfect.

“A sweet tooth, eh?” The man hands him a glass.

“Hmm~”

“Hah! That’s one of the joys of puff-puff. It’s versatile and you can do anything with it. Chocolate puff-puffs, coconuts–heck, just serve it with ice cream and yer good.” He taps his head. “Sky’s the limit, lad. Now that I’ve passed it to you, you can do whatever you want with it.”   
  
“Me?” El swallows. “I’ve been wondering, why teach random people? Why not that girl downstairs?”   
  
“Ah, she ain’t interested. I don’t want to force her into work she doesn’t want. Besides,” He turns his head to look out the window. “I’m gettin old. I can’t exactly keep this up forever. When I go, the family recipes will go with me. At least if I can pass it on to as many people as I can, there’s a good chance the recipe won’t die out.”

“Why not teach classes about this?”

The man shrugs. “Eeeh, we tried. My daughter would convince people to sign up for puff-puff classes but every time they come in and see me mug, they just bolt and run while shoutin ‘I don’t want lessons from no man!’ or ‘I didn’t sign up for this!’ And the few that do stay tend to leave the minute I say we’re just gonna cook. It’s like they...I dunno, want something else? They always leave lookin disappointed.”   
  


El shakes his head, baffled and saddened. “Do people hate puff-puff now?”   
  


“Dunno. It’s a mystery. The clamor for puff-puff when it’s me daughter but hightail if it’s me. Guess I’m too imposing for em. That or me daughter’s too charmin! Not surprised, though. She’s as lively as her mum! Hur hur!!”

“Don’t let them get to you. Your puff-puffs are wonderful.” El smiles. “Personally, I love it. And I know my friends will love it too.”

He jovially slaps his knee. “Oi, now that’s the spirit! Eatin it with loved one is the truest way to enjoy puff-puff to its fullest. Ya got it, lad! Hur hur!”

El almost feels bad when they have to wrap up their conversation, but man is more energetic than before, handing El a written copy of the recipe.

He bows to him one last time. “Thank you for the lessons, sir.”

The man just laughs. “Don’t be a stranger, eh, sunshine? HUR HUR! ”

El nods, still comfortably fitting his bag back on. He makes his way downstairs where the lady excitedly greets him.

“Welcome back, my sweet. Your friends are outside waiting for you.” she informs him, much to El’s surprise.

“They are?”

“Yes. For some reason, they were very concerned for you.”

El blinks. “Why?”

“I do not know. I tried to assure them you were in excellent care, that my father was the greatest puff-puff practitioner in the world, but alas, they did not believe me. It would not be the first time…” Her voice trails off to a tired sigh.

“In any case, you are lucky to have friends who care about you so.” She giggles playfully. “You will come and visit us again soon, yes?”

The door is open near the end of the hall. As soon as El is close, he can see them all standing in front...and looking angry?

Erik idles awkwardly off the side, almost hiding by the shadow of the building. Their eyes finally meet when he momentarily looks his way, and is soon staring at him with surprised, wide eyes.

Veronica is angrily tapping her foot while Serena stands behind her, hands on her hips, though it’s also replaced with the same astonishment.

“Oh my,” Serena gasps, hands clasped just over her lips with a squeal. “You look so adorable, El!”

El’s foot almost misses the short gap of the threshold. “Uh, thank you?” he replies although he’s unsure how much of a compliment that is.

“You should wear your hair up like that more often.”

Oh.   
  
El quickly feels the back of his head. He had forgotten to untie his ponytail.

“No! Don’t remove it!” Serena rushes towards him to swat his hands away. “Really! It’d be a shame to undo it! Don’t you two think so as well?”   
  


She turns to Erik and Veronica excitedly.

“It’s...alright, I guess it’s kinda adorable.” Veronica half-grumbles.

Erik just nods nervously. “It’s okay.”

“See?” Serena grins at him and it’s hard to say no to her when she looks excited.

Meekly, El nods. “I’ll keep it then.”

“Good. Looks like all’s well that ends well.” Veronica hums, right before stomping her feet and shrieking, “NOT! Uuughh! We’re getting side tracked again!”

She points accusingly at a bewildered El. “Anyway, next time, don’t just go running off on your own like that! Do you know how worried we were about you?”   
  
“Oh, um, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect for it to take long.”

And in El’s defense, he really didn’t but the lessons, cooking, and chatting just added up without him noticing.

“I’m sorry to have worried you.”

Veronica throws her head back with loud groan, messing her hat in frustration. “Ugghh!! At least nothing happened. Let’s be grateful for that.”

Veronica sucks in a low, deep, frustrated breath. “Look. There’s nothing wrong with having your... _ urges _ . But maybe actually stop for a minute and  _ think _ before getting a random puff-puff offered to you on the street. By a stranger. Into their homes. Is nothing about that suspicious or dangerous in any way?”

El silently hangs his head in shame. When she puts it like that, it does sound horribly suspicious and stupid, and he was at first but...well, he doubted saying that the woman seemed nice and meant no harm would be a good enough excuse. “I’m sorry, I’ll refrain from doing it again in the future.”

Veronica grudgingly sighed, still eyeing him suspiciously but at least significantly calmed by his apology. “As long as it doesn’t happen again.”

El nods with earnesty. “I promise. Actually, since the man was actually teaching lessons-”   
  
“We know.” Erik quickly cuts him off, closing in on his personal space to sling his arm around his neck. “You don’t need to explain the details to us. Please.”

He is legitimately pleading to him with...burning cheeks?

Uncertain of what exactly to say or do, El awkwardly nods to them.

“Well, it’s almost time for our meeting.” Serena notes, looking up at the evening sky. A stroke of red was still visible off the horizon but mostly drowned by the darkening sweep of navy and glistening stars. “We should probably get going.”

“Yeah…” Veronica grumbles, kicking the gravel beneath her. “We can’t leave his pompousness to wait for us.”

Erik grunts, as quiet of an agreement as he can make while El glares at the two. Whatever their issues, they really shouldn’t be insulting the man in public. Especially since he was a prince.

“So were you out here this whole time? Did you find anything interesting?”

“Actually, we did find this lovely outfit! Though it was too expensive.” Serena sighs. El can’t help feeling curious, wondering what she had found.

“Can I see it tomorrow? Maybe I can make something like it for you on the Fun-Size Forge.”

Serena gasps excitedly. “Really!? Ooh, let’s stop by tomorrow, then!”

“I got a new knife.” Erik twirls a jagged, purple knife in his left hand with a smirk. “I managed to haggle the price down.”

Flatly, Veronica adds, “I didn’t do anything.”

El hums. “I think I’ll try to make puff-puffs tomor-”

Everyone screeches a choked, high-pitched, “No!” unanimously.

“Or, well… You know, just keep on the down low.” Erik awkwardly says, looking at his feet and away from him, though El can still see the shades of red in his cheeks. “Ugh...so was...that all you did for the day?”

El almost shakes his head until they pass through fabric stalls.

He lights up. “I found new fabric.”

El brings out his notebook, quickly flipping through to the most recent page where five cuts of fabrics were pinned together. They each had the same geometric pattern but differed in color palette; black and white, brown and bronze, red and white, ash and white, and finally blue and white. El instinctively touched it, pinching the soft fabric between his fingers.

“What’s that?”

“This is called bogolanfini. It’s a cloth dyed with fermented mud. They have to dye it first in a plant bath before painting the mud on it. I don't know the exact specifics but the mud has a chemical reaction that makes the color stick to it. It's actually fascinating. If I had the right equipment and more information on how it's made, I can replicate it.”

Despite looking bored, Erik still nods attentively, eyeing the cloths with a bit more interest.

“That's pretty cool but I actually meant the notebook. You collect fabric?” 

“In a sense.” El flips through more pages to show Erik each fabric inside. “It’s handy to have a small stock on hand to use as reference material. If there’s something I want to make, I can easily look through what I have to find what kind of fabric I want to use. Like what pattern, color, texture... Do you want to look?”

“Uh, sure?”

Erik takes it, letting go of him in order to properly see the contents. It’s obvious from his bored eyes and slouched back that this subject disinterests him but the fact that he’s still making an effort to hear his interests is something El appreciates. Then, briefly, Erik’s eyes narrow on one of the pages.

“....you been to Snifleheim?”   
  


His question comes out of nowhere to El. He shakes his head because no, he’s never been to Snifleheim before. He’d never even heard of it until today. 

“Why?” El leans in to see what had caught his interest. It was a set of particularly thick, wool and cotton woven fabric, thicker than most of his other material for sure since Cobblestone winters rarely got cold enough to require it. The fabric was fuzzy and soft, and came in the colors ash, black, grey, and red. Scrawled at the top of the page was ‘ Frau Holle’s Textiles’ with notes on the side reading: “Not good as a scarf. Makes hair frizzy.”

“Oh, I think remember,” El grins to himself. “I got this fabric from a merchant that came by once. I liked the feel of it so I bought those samples.”

But he couldn’t use it in the end. It was too warm for their climate, making it uncomfortable to wear. El did at least get a laugh out of it when he tried to convert some into a headscarf for Gemma, only for it to accumulate so much static that it left her hair floating and frizzy like a witch.

For a second, Erik says nothing. He only watches El–observes him–before relaxing.

“This is a famous brand there. They’re popular.”

“Do you like this kind of fabric?”

The thief chuckles awkwardly. “Nah. Well, I wouldn’t know. It's higher end stuff.”

El can see how uncomfortable Erik is now. He decides to try and keep the subject on track, avoiding the mention of money. “Would you prefer cool, thinner fabric then?”

He shrugs. “I wouldn’t mind it. As long as it’s comfortable and easy to move around in.”

El smiles and nods. He would write that down later to not forget.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter again! Sorry again if I got some stuff wrong. The fabrics listed are all real African textiles. Bògòlanfini or bogolan was honestly the most interesting with the dyeing process.
> 
> Puff-puff is also an African snack. Imagine that. It's also called beignet.
> 
> Nutmeg is optional in puff-puff, and there're other varieties like chocolate, coconut, or stuffed puff-puff.


	9. Camp Meal 1: Lemony Fish Set (Galloptian Sands)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY REALIZED YOU CAN MAKE LINKS IN NOTES. I'M AN IDIOT.
> 
> So now the links to the reference/source material are linked to the titles instead of being copy and paste html addresses. The references for the first two chaps were added. I'm sorry for not adding them sooner.
> 
> No recipe in the beginning coz there is a surprising lot despite how short this is. So they'll be put together in a bonus page.

First Faris blackmails El into pretending to be him in  _ his _ debut horse race, and now he needs them to fight a powerful, deadly monster because despite all his talk yesterday about the code of a knight, Faris hadn’t a single fighting bone in his body. And because his training and lifestyle couldn’t have possibly prepared him for the desert heat, they were forced to stop midway to rest. At the rate things were going, even Faris’ own guards have resigned themselves to defeat.

And to top this day off-

“We’re back, darlings!” Sylvando practically sings, proudly holding up two fish–one in each hand–for the twins to see.

“Woah! You actually caught something?!” Veronica runs up to see, instantly impressed.

“Yes, we did, Veronica. Oh, you should’ve seen El! He pulled this beauty right off the water.” Sylvando refers to the larger one of the two. It was a rainbow trout, which was honestly an impressive catch. Erik kept forgetting that El actually grew up fishing as well. “Oh, when he did, sparkles were practically flying. My heart actually skipped a beat!”

El was blushing, unaccustomed to the verbal attention and praise the showman was smothering him with. Erik held back a scoff.

He was probably the only one unhappy with this prima donna inserting himself into their group just to tag along. Initially, it was just at the idea of having to babysit another grown man while they all did their best to stay alive. Then they actually fought together and Sylv proved surprisingly competent. He wasn’t strong but he was nimble, fast, and an excellent support, able to provide buffs and cure status ailments.

Sylvando was fully capable of fending for himself and watching their backs, which made Erik look at him again more critically and with more suspicion. Frankly, the man was  _ too _ skilled. Horse-riding was one thing, but no performer needed to be as proficient with a sword as Sylvando. Theatrical swordplay is very,  _ very _ different from actual, lethal, combat swordplay.

While Veronica admires the trout, she looks at the other green fish with the gaping mouth.

“And what’s this angry looking thing? It looks like you caught it screaming.”

“This, my dear, is a largemouth bass. He put up quite the fight.”

“Largemouth. A name that’s right on the nose.”

“If you’re all done,” Serena calls to them from the campfire. “I’ve already got vegetables ready. It’s almost evening!”

“Coming.” Veronica groans. She looks none too excited at all.

“So what will we do with these again?” El asks, taking the trout from Sylv.

The showman smiles giddily. “With fish as good as these, we have to grill them! Believe me, simple is  _ always _ the way to go with seafood, darling.”

Erik wants to vomit when he sees him winking at El. “You have an idea on what to make?”

“Of course, Erik! Nothing beats a whole grilled fish stuffed with lemons and herbs.”

“I doubt that. Salted grilled fish with lemon butter sauce packs more flavour. Stuffed fish is bland in comparison.” Erik says offhandedly, and immediately regrets it when he hears the man gasp.

“Now  _ that _ I take offense too! It’s far from bland if you use good herbs and the right amount of salt.”

“Anything would have taste if you add enough salt. Besides, it’s butter sauce. You can’t beat the fatty goodness of butter.” 

“Ugh, just because butter is good doesn’t mean it’s superior all the time. If you tried my baked fish, I guarantee that you’ll be singing a different tune.”

“I could say the same thing to you.”

Sylvando gasps and grins excitedly. “Then how about a little competition? You and I, which fish is better? And El and girls can be our judges!”

“Seriously?” Erik shakes his head with disinterest.

“Come on, Erik, honey~! It’ll be fun! I know El would love to try it.”

Oh. Oh no, he didn’t…

The man turns to a surprised and confused El. “Right, El? You’d love to try his cooking wouldn’t you?”

El bashfully nods.”It has been long since I’ve had it. Actually, I don’t think Serena and Veronica have tried your cooking yet.”

Sylvando claps his hands. “Did you hear that, Erik? El wants to try it! And Serena and Veronica can finally have it too!”

From behind, they hear Veronica interject, “Just hurry up and cook already!”

Erik just groans. He looks at El, who’s clutching his bag meekly, and then defeatedly back at Sylvando.

“Fine.”   
  


“Good! Loser washes all the dishes tonight!”

And before Erik can argue back, Sylvando runs up to him and practically dumps the whole trout into his hands with another wink. “I’ll be using my bass. I expect you to make good use of El’s catch, understand?”

Erik can’t really make a rebuttal to that before watching him prance back with a hum. Like he’d actually waste a perfectly good rainbow trout that El caught…

“Looks like I got you involved.” El notes while walking up to him. “Should I help?”   
  


“Nah. I can’t take him just fine. As far as I’m concerned, lemon butter sauce wins any day.”

El smiles at him. “Good luck.”

Erik wants to say that he doesn’t need it, but it feels like that would ruin the good mood. So instead he just gives him the most confident grin and says, “Thanks.”

* * *

“They’re having a contest? Ooh, what fun!” Serena hums. “Looks like we'll have enough food to go around tonight. Oh, pass me the salt, please?”

El nods and gives it to her. She opens the lid of the box and sprinkles the salt on the chopped cucumbers before tossing it for a bit.

“The parsley is done.” Veronica mutters, walking towards them meekly with a cutting board full of what looks like wet, mushy, green slop.

Serena sadly eyes it in silence, which only frustrates her sister more.

“You both can say something, you know. I know this is bad.”

Either El was unafraid or he truly couldn’t read Veronica’s mood as he asked, “What happened to it? Why does it look like that?”

“I don’t know!” Veronica angrily flusters. “I just chopped it and the next thing I knew, it ended up like this.”

“Was the parsley dried after it was washed?”

“Uh,” Veronica bites her mouth at El’s question. It’s an easy but critical step because if one failed to dry the herb before chopping it, the water would seep into the leaves, promptly turning it into mush. “...I forgot.”

Serena feels bad for her, especially with how obvious it was that she tried her best. 

“Here. There were some extras leftover.” El grabs a bunch of their remaining parsley and hands them to Veronica. “They’re already washed and dried.”

Veronica grumbles something between ‘Okay…’ and takes them before leaving. El has an apologetic expression but he remains quiet.

“Oh, right. I’ve just finished cutting the onions and tomatoes.”

Serena smiles at him. “Thank you, El. And please don’t worry about Veronica. She’s tough enough to take advice. It’s just the remembering part is all.”

In all honesty, this had been normal since they were children. Cooking just didn’t come to Veronica the way magic did. Magic didn’t rely too much on patience or close adherence to proper measurements or steps. It relied more on one’s emotion and spirit; their intuitiveness to things beyond the other side and their belief in it. Feisty and impatient is her sister, and Serena doubts there is anyone else who believes in the Luminary, Yggdrasil, and the spirits more than her. That’s what made her a powerful mage. Cooking though...

El lowers his head but he seems to take her words to heart.

“Alright. So what do we do next?”

“Once Veronica’s finishes chopping the parsley, we’ll mix the veggies together with lemon juice. A little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and our salad will be ready. In the meantime,” she looks behind, excitedly watching Erik and Sylvando working on their respective fish at the other side of the camp.

Erik was still filleting the trout but Sylvando was already on to chopping up his herbs for the stuffing. Basil, thyme, rosemary…

Serena scoots next to El.

“Who do you think is going to win?”

El answers with surprised stutters. “I-I don’t really know…”

“I think Sylvando’s got a good chance. Me and Veronica grew up on whole cooked fish so he’s has the advantage there.”

Speaking of which, the man was now making three slits on the bass’ skin. Sylvando quickly rubs it with salt, inside and out, before stuffing its belly and the slits with the herbs and lemon slices.

“I’m finished!” Sylvando announces with his singsong voice. A groan comes from Erik, who still hasn’t finished yet. “Erik, how are you doing?”   
  
“This takes time!”

“Well, alright then. We’ll start cooking once you’re ready. Serena, dear, do you need any help there?”   
  
“We’re fine!” Serena assures him. “Just continue what you’re doing. Come on, Erik! You can do it!”

“Thanks.”

“Parsley’s done. For real.” Veronica interrupts them with a proud grin and cutting board full of cut parsley. They were in irregular sizes but it didn’t matter.

Serena thanks her sister and tosses it into the bowl with the cucumbers. The onions and tomatoes are next and after tossing them with a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, Serena lays the bowl of salad on the mat.

“It looks great.” El notes.

“I thought some salad would go well with the fish.” 

Veronica mutters under her breath while she continues to observe Erik and Sylvando. “Salad with lemon juice, fish with veggies and lemon, fish with lemon butter sauce… It’s too much citrus and vegetables!”

“Good. You need as much as you can eat.” Serena smiles. “I expect you  _ and _ Erik to finish my salad.”

Before Veronica can respond, Erik yells, “Done! I’m ready! Veronica, can you help me freeze the rest of the trout?”

Her sister’s eyes gleam, much to Serena’s own relief. Veronica jumps up with her wand ready and runs to Erik’s spot. She chants her Crack spell and Erik nods approvingly once she’s finished.

The fish quickly wrapped up and Veronica soon returns with a bag full of frozen fish.

“That was nothing!” Veronica huffs.

“Get ready to try the best bass you’ve ever tasted, honeys!” Sylvando excitedly tells them.

“Or the best trout. Just saying.”

* * *

While Sylvando cooks his fish straightforward–baked it in an enclosed cast iron pan by the fire–Erik started with the sauce. Boiled cream with diced butter slowly whisked in, followed by more parsley and lemon juice. Erik grilled the cuts of rainbow trout in another pan with nothing but butter and salt for taste and soon, their camp was aromatic with fish.

“On the left side, Sylvando’s baked fish!” Veronica shouts like an announcer for a boxing match. “Look at that beautifully baked fish!”

She points at it. “Do you see the steam coming out of it? I wish you could smell it folks!”

“We can.” Erik cuts in. Veronica just kicks sand at his feet. “Hey!”

“The smell of that cooked lemon, herbs, and...is that garlic?”   
  
Sylvando smiles confidently. “Why, yes, Veronica, dear! A little extra something, you know?”   
  


“Good, good! Now look to our right folks at that wonderfully pink, rainbow trout. Still looks like regular grilled fish to me though, but what is this white sauce it’s served with?”

“It’s lemon butter-”

“He insists on keeping it a surprise! It’s all up to our judges folks. First, me, your beautiful host-”

Erik snickers briefly, but is smart to bite his lip when the small girl turns to glare at him.

She clears her throat. “-your BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS host who is your JUDGE, and then we have my sister Serena who also made our salad today. Be sure to thank her, boys.”

Serena waves at them from her seat on the log towards the three, who wave back.

“Thank you, Serena! And may I say your salad looks-!” Sylvando kisses fingers, a move that makes Serena giggle and blush. “Lovely!”

Erik has only narrowed eyes at Sylvando but he bows back to Serena. “Uh, yeah. Really great. Thanks, Serena.”

Veronica shakes her head at him. “And last but not least, our final judge, El. Since he caught the rainbow trout, I hope that there is no bias in the voting, yes?”

“Uh,” El, sitting just by Serena, awkwardly shakes his head. “No. I promise no bias.”

Veronica nods with approval. “And with that, let’s eat dinner already, everyone!”

They all get their plates and forks and dig in.

Veronica shrugs. “They’re both okay. I like Sylv’s more.”

Serena hums along in agreement, much to Erik’s annoyance. “Okay, I know I wasn’t that into this, but sheesh. This is kind of an anti-climactic ending. You were saying a lot seconds ago, Veronica.”   
  


“Fine! Uh...you’re dish is just missing something.”

“Missing what?”   
  


“This would really go with rice.”

Serena nods at El’s random comment. “I have to agree. Oh, I should’ve made some!”

“I think the salad is enough. Rice is carbs and carbs lead to weight.” Sylvando muses. “But anyway, what’s the verdict? Is my fish the better one or Erik’s?”

“Yours.” The twins agree unanimously. Despite Sylv’s assured victory with the majority on his side, he still leans towards El to ask him, “What about you? Which one did you prefer, darling?”

  
“Erik’s. I like trout more.”

“Looks like I lose. Just so you know, you only won because you catered to these two. We need a more diverse set of judges.”

“Just take your loss like a big boy, Erik!”. 

“Also the midget has it out for me.” Erik points at Veronica. “Exclude her next time.”

“You just suck!”

Sylvando doesn’t mind their banters. Only giggling like he was watching a show. “More importantly, how do you find my fish, Erik? Far from bland, yes?”

“S’okay.”

Serena contentedly hums. “This is fun. We should do this more often.”


	10. Camp Meal 1: Lemony Fish Set (Recipes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story for this is chap. 9.

Arborian Salad ([Horiatiki/Mediterranean Salad](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/3-ingredient-mediterranean-salad/))

This refreshing and colorful salad is easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups of cruelcumber, diced

3 cups of bite bulb head, diced

½ red onion, sliced

½ parsley leaves, chopped

Feta cheese (optional)

Sliced olives (optional)

3 tbsp olive oil

½ lemon

Salt

Pepper

In regards to preparing and cleaning Cruelcumber for this dish, go to pg. 23.

In regards to preparing and cleaning Bite Bulb for this dish, go to pg. 24.

First, prepare all the vegetables, cruelcumber, and bite bulb head and add them into a bowl. Add salt to taste and toss the ingredients in the bowl. Leave it for a few minutes to sweat. Add the pepper and squeeze some lemon juice into it before tossing them again. After another few minutes, toss it with the olive oil.

Add more of any condiment to taste. If you have feta cheese, crumble it on the salad last before serving.

*You can substitute the cruelcumber with a stick of regular cucumber and the bite bulb head with roma tomatoes.

* * *

Snifleheimian Butter Sauce ([Sandefjordsmør](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm0JqeChb_Q))

This sauce is traditionally served with fish in Snifleheim.

Ingredients:  
1 lemon, juiced  
½ cup of heavy cream  
5 tbsp butter, cubed  
2 tbsp parsley  
Salt  
Pepper

Boil the heavy cream on a medium-high flame. Stir it occasionally to keep it from burning for about six minutes or until it’s been reduced to about half. Gradually whisk in the cubed butter but only a few at a time. Once all the butter has been added, stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and serve it with fish.

*Best served warm. While usually paired with salmon, any grilled fish should work fine.

* * *

[Simple Baked Trout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx7HIfmTYVE)

A trout stuffed with herbs and lemon slices.

Ingredients:  
1 whole trout  
1 lemon, sliced  
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced  
2 bunches of herbs, any you prefer  
Salt  
Pepper  
Olive

First, gut and clean a trout or buy one that’s already been prepared. Make three incisions into the skin on both sides, then stuff the incisions with the garlic. Rub the trout inside out out with salt and pepper. Line the inside with the lemon slices before stuffing the herbs insides. Tie cooking threads around the trout to keep the herbs from falling out. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and bake it for about twenty minutes or until the flesh is flaky.

*Some possible herbs you can use include basil, fennel, dill, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. If you don’t have trout, feel free to use any large, flaky fish available.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made Veronica's mistake a lot. Never realized how important drying parsley is. Still edible though.
> 
> There's not much to say this time because the key here is simplicity. Seafood doesn't need a lot to shine. A little salt and olive oil can go a long way.


End file.
